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June
01, 2005
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The Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board will showcase the E85-capable Chevrolet Tahoe by allowing Wisconsin 's agricultural ambassador, Alice in Dairyland, to drive the vehicle to hundreds of promotional and educational events around the state over the next year. About 20% of Wisconsin 's corn crop, or 1 out of every 5 rows of corn, is used to make ethanol. Wisconsin produces 350 million bushels of corn a year, providing the basis for millions of gallons of ethanol to be produced in the future. The three operating ethanol plants in Wisconsin contribute over 56 million dollars annually into each of their local economies. Currently 45% of the fuel sold in the state contains ethanol, with most of that being sold in the southeastern corner of the state because of clean air requirements. "My Administration is committed to promoting economic growth and energy security in both rural and urban areas of Wisconsin by using both bio-based products and bio energy in environmentally sound ways," said Governor Doyle. "I'm pleased that GM is providing an E85 vehicle to help us increase awareness about ethanol fuel and the importance of decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. When it comes to our energy future, we should rely on the Midwest, not the Mideast." The announcement is part of a campaign by GM and the Governors' Ethanol Coalition (GEC), a bipartisan group of governors devoted to the promotion and increased use of ethanol. This collaborative effort is designed to increase awareness of ethanol and flexible fuel vehicles, and to promote the increased use of E85 as a renewable, alternative transportation fuel that is able to meet the demands of today's drivers. GM is currently the largest producer of E85 flexible fuel vehicles in the United States, with over 1.1 million vehicles on the road and with vehicles available for sale in all 50 states. GM approved the use of 10 percent ethanol blended gasoline in all GM products more than 20 years ago, and produces almost five million E10 capable vehicles annually. In addition to Wisconsin, GM has provided E85-capable vehicles for use in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming. GM will also provide vehicles to the following states: Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Ethanol delivers similar performance as regular gasoline and is a renewable, domestically produced fuel that reduces sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons for improved exhaust emissions performance. E85, a blend of 85 percent ethyl alcohol and 15 percent gasoline, is produced from the starch in agricultural products, primarily domestically produced corn. Growing corn actually removes CO2 from the atmosphere so that the total effect of using ethanol made from corn is a significant reduction in greenhouse emissions when compared to the use of petroleum-based fuels. GM's E85 vehicles are capable of operating on either gasoline or 85 percent ethanol without any additional modifications, aftermarket conversions, or cumbersome switches for vehicle users. Currently, there are over 300 public E85 fueling sites in operation across the nation. (May 27, 2005)
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