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A flexible-fuel vehicle, FFV for short, is one of the new generation vehicles designed to run on regular gasoline, or a blend of ethanol up to 85% of the mixture. Older style cars can only use up to a 10% blend of the alcohol based ethanol. These new FFVs are clearly marked at the gas filler cap with the E-85 designation to avoid confusion. The car's VIN, vehicle identification number is coded so that you can find out from the manufacturer if you should be in doubt.

The advantages of a flexible fuel vehicle are obvious, in some cases the ethanol fuel is significantly cheaper. You do need to bear in mind that it delivers less mileage than regular gasoline, a reduction up to 30%. It is a little bit "greener", or friendlier to the environment, but if it is not priced at least 30% cheaper than gas, you won't be saving any fuel costs.

As you shop for a new car, be sure to check out the FFV models, they should not be much different in price from the gasoline only models. Ford offers a number of its new models in the new fuel format, as well as Chrysler. There should not be any problems with using the new fuels that are being introduced because the idea is not new. Almost 100 years ago, Henry Ford thought that alcohol based fuel would soon be powering his early cars. The fact that petroleum based fuels were cheaper at the onset was the reason that this conversion did not happen long ago.

While we all await new breakthroughs in technology it makes all the sense in the world to utilize what we do have today. The new fuel is easier on the environment, and that is reason enough to use it if we can. Enjoy your new, and greener car!

Learn more about this author, Bob Schmidt.
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