WAKARUSA -- Chris McFarland bought it to save a few bucks. Lowell Anglin bought it to save money, plus help corn farmers.
Laurel Padilla hopes she'll be able to buy E85, as she does in Wakarusa, when she moves to Michigan.
"It's a fuel that's less expensive and made out of corn," Padilla said, after filling up her 2000 Ford wagon, the one with the sticker on the fuel cap that tells her it's OK to use ethanol.
Fuel sales of E85, a fuel blend using 85 percent ethanol, have shot up from 40 gallons a week to more than 300 gallons since the Wakarusa Bell Mart BP, corner of S.R. 19 and C.R. 40, added the single pump.
"Customers like it because it's less expensive," said Vicki Maust, store manager. She's getting calls from all over northern Indiana and neighboring states now that word is out her store has fuel.
The Wakarusa station is one of three in Indiana offering E85; no local Michigan stations are selling the fuel, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition's Web site.
At first, customers were pumping it for $1.99 a gallon, but the store upped the per gallon price to $2.09 Monday. That price remained steady through Wednesday.
According to information from the coalition, E85, a bio-based fuel made from corn and renewable sources, reduces harmful emissions and helps protect the air.
McFarland skips the gas pumps now and drives his 2002 Chevy Suburban straight to the southwest side of the BP lot, to the E85 pump.
"I've got four kids," he said. "I save $8 to $10 every fill-up." Having an extra $40 is coming in handy at back-to-school time, he said.
Anglin, a retired farmer, pulled his 2002 Chevy Silverado up to the E85 pump and said, "I thought I'd start out with a half tank just to see. If I can help the farmers, I will."
With some customers, the new fuel offering hasn't caught on, though. Brady Johnson walked away from the new E85 pump and filled up at one of the other pumps.
"I was worried if my car would take it (E85)," said Brady Johnson.
Numerous models of Ford, General Motors, Isuzu, Mercedes and Mercury are E85-fuel-compatible, according to the coalition's Web site.
Copyright © Truth Publishing Co.. All Rights Reserved