3.1. Vehicle compliance with E15

When EPA granted the E15 waiver for use in 2001 and newer vehicles, no auto manufacturer allowed or warranted its use in their standard models.  Only vehicles designed and certified as “Flex-Fuel” could use blends above E10.  (Flex-Fuel vehicles in the U.S. are often identified as compatible for E85 blends, but can use any ethanol blend up to that level).  Over subsequent year, many auto manufacturers made design changes to adapt to higher ethanol-gasoline blends in the U.S.  Based on review of owner manuals and public information released by auto manufacturers selling vehicles in the U.S., of the 15 companies with more than 0.1% of market share, eight now allow E15 use in all of their 2018 model year vehicles.  Based on Motor Intelligence data analyzed by