In August 2016, EPA began receiving inquiries regarding the E15 misfueling mitigation regulations at 40 CFR Part 80, Subpart N, as they relate to providing E10 gasoline for motorcycles (E15 is a fuel blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline and E10 is a fuel blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline). EPA misfueling mitigation regulations which were finalized in 2011, were implemented to ensure that E15 is only used for vehicles that can accept this fuel.

Below is a list of questions and answers to help clarify this topic.

Q1:  Has EPA recently changed its misfueling regulations in any way that affects the availability of E10 to motorcyclists at gas stations?

A1:  No. Other than a few minor technical amendments, which did not affect regulations regarding motorcyclists or motorcycles in any way, EPA has not updated the E15 misfueling mitigation regulations since publication of the final rulemaking in 2011. (See 76 Federal Register 44406 (PDF)(46 pp, 1 MB, published July 25, 2011 About PDF) ).

Q2: Is it illegal for motorcyclists or other consumers to purchase less than 4 gallons of E10 fuel?

A2: Dispensing E10 in volumes less than 4 gallons from a pump that supplies only E10 is absolutely NOT a violation of EPA requirements.

Q3: Why would a consumer have to buy more than 4 gallons of fuel from pumps that dispense both E10 and E15?

A3: With co-dispensing pumps, E10 and E15 share a common hose and nozzle. Because E15 may still be in the hose when a customer switches to dispensing E10, the first few gallons of E10 dispensed can have ethanol percentages at levels slightly higher than 10%. A minimum purchase of 4 gallons of E10 from a co-dispensing pump ensures that the total volume of dispensed gasoline contains no more than 10% ethanol.

Q4: Do motorcyclists have difficulty finding fuel for their vehicles?

A4: No. We are not aware of a single gasoline station in the US that doesn’t offer either E0 or E10.

Q5: How many gas stations in the U.S. have pumps that co-dispense E10 and E15?

A5: About 200 gas stations have pumps that co-dispense E10 and E15. Most of these stations have dedicated E10 pumps, and fewer than 30 of these stations have chosen to use the 4-gallon minimum approach. For context, the total number of gas stations in the U.S. is higher than 120,000. Motorcyclists and others can purchase any amount of gasoline from a dedicated E10 pump.

Q6: Why does EPA even have the E15 misfueling mitigation regulations?

A6: A primary reason is to protect motorcyclists and other consumers who have vehicles and engines that cannot use gasoline blends higher than E10.

Q7: Where can I get more information?

A7: View our fact sheet: Regulation History of E15 Misfueling Mitigation Plans (PDF)(3 pp, 139 K, EPA-420-F-15-042, September 2015, About PDF)