Ford Motor Company's demonstration fleet of ethanol-fueled hybrids is ready to for the streets. The first three of Ford's E85 Escape Hybrids were delivered recently to the Department of Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition (GEC). A total of 20 Ford E85 Escape Hybrids will be delivered to select fleet customers in six states. These hybrid vehicles operate on blends of fuel containing as much as 85 percent ethanol. Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be produced from American-grown corn or sugar beets. The E85 Escape Hybrid produces about 25 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a gasoline-fueled Escape Hybrid and it also runs on a completely renewable fuel, the automaker reports. A major challenge in the promotion of renewable fuel use is availability of infrastructure. Less than 1 percent of the 170,000 retail gas stations in the country carry E85 ethanol.
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