American Petroleum Institute Goes Bonkers - Issues Fatuous Lies Against E15 Ethanol Blends

By Marc J. Rauch
Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Marc J. Rauch

AUTO CENTRAL - April 12, 2018: Today, a fathead from the American Petroleum Institute made a series of preposterous claims against E15 that prove neither he nor anyone currently employed by API know anything about motor fuels or internal combustion engines. The particular fathead I'm referring to is API Downstream Group Director Frank Macchiarola.

In a press release that was obviously hastily prepared by nitwits, halfwits, and truth-challenged people at Big Oil's public relations' firm to counteract reports that President Trump favors year-round sales of E15, Mr. Macchiarola signed off on the document saying that:

• Forcing higher ethanol fuel blends into the marketplace could have negative consequences for U.S. consumers.

• The RFS is broken and we continue to believe the best solution is comprehensive legislation.

• Testing by the auto and oil industries found that higher ethanol blends, such as E-15, can harm engines and fuel systems.

• E15 potentially forces drivers to pay for unexpected and costly repairs themselves.

• Nearly three out of four vehicles in the U.S. fleet were not built for E15 and this fuel is not compatible with motorcycles, boats, lawn equipment, and ATVs.

• And many automakers say that using E15 could potentially void new car warranties.

The truth is that:

• The only negative consequences to using higher ethanol blends is to oil industry profits - there are no negative consequences to consumers who own internal combustion engines (ICE).

• If there's anything wrong with the RFS, it's that it should mandate much higher levels of biofuels to be used. The legislation that's needed is to ban the manufacture of any new gasoline-powered ICE engines for use in America.

• Any testing conducted by the auto and oil industries that found E15 can harm engines and fuel systems were fraudulently performed and/or the analysis of any problems were incorrectly blamed on ethanol.

• If E15 was the cause of a problem that required unexpected and costly repairs then it might "force" drivers to pay for the repairs. However, E15 does not cause engine and fuel system problems. Gasoline causes the problems. And the problems that are not caused by gasoline are problems that are attributable to any multi-part working mechanism...in other words, parts normally breakdown from wear and tear.

• All vehicles in the U.S. fleet were built for E15 (and higher blends). How do I know? For one thing, the oil industry told us so, for nearly 100 years...but the people working for API weren't told this. SEE: The Hypocrisy of Big Oil.

• As for claiming that E15 is not compatible with motorcycles, boats, and ATVs; that's hogwash. A good many of the very same bikes, boats, and buggies sold in America are sold in Brazil, where the standard fuel is E27. And if, by some strange reason someone has a lawn mower that doesn't like E15, then they shouldn't use it; they should use E10 or E0. No one is forcing them to use E15.

• If automakers could get away with it they would say that starting your engine voids new car warranties. Congress should pass legislation that immediately requires all automakers to extend warranties for any new ICE cars and light trucks built since the year 2010* to include up to the use of E40. Additional legislation should be passed that warranties for all ICE cars and light trucks built after 2020 extends to the use of E50.

Coincidentally, just a few days ago American Coalition of Ethanol (ACE) released a video that claims to expose the problems caused by the use of E15. The video is titled "Retailers Highlight E15 Liability Issues." The morons at API and their PR firms must have looked only at the title and not the video. The video itself is a fabulous tongue-in-cheek response to the same kind of irresponsible yellow journalism featured in today's API's garbage press release. Here it is:

By the way, morons at API and its PR firms, if you don't like being called morons, nitwits, halfwits, and truth-challenged, come out and publicly debate me, you sniveling lily-livered** cowards.

* The reason I selected 2010 as the date is because of the enormous debris caused by gasoline in any engine for an extended period should be given a thorough cleaning before jumping into using much higher ethanol blends. Ethanol cleans engines, but when you have too much garbage even the largest drains need clearing - so to speak.

** I don't know what "lily-livered" means, but it always sounded good on the old westerns.

Here's the garbage press release from API:

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the American Petroleum Institute said forcing higher ethanol fuel blends into the marketplace could have negative consequences for the American consumer.

"We are concerned about news reports suggesting administrative attempts to grant an E-15 summertime waiver," said API Downstream Group Director Frank Macchiarola. "Forcing higher ethanol fuel blends into the marketplace could have negative consequences for U.S. consumers."  

"EPA has previously stated that it does not have the legal authority to grant the E-15 waiver, and we agree with that assessment. The industry plans to consider all options to prevent such a waiver. The RFS is broken and we continue to believe the best solution is comprehensive legislation. API urges Congress to take action to address this important issue."

Testing by the auto and oil industries found that higher ethanol blends, such as E-15, can harm engines and fuel systems and – potentially force drivers to pay for unexpected and costly repairs themselves. Nearly three out of four vehicles in the U.S. fleet were not built for E-15 and this fuel is not compatible with motorcycles, boats, lawn equipment, and ATVs. And many automakers say that using E-15 could potentially void new car warranties.