Vance Pushes Year-Round E15 Sales Despite Consumer Fuel Mileage Concerns

JD Vance, the vice presidential candidate, has been pushing for year-round sales of E15 fuel on the campaign trail. He argues that President Donald Trump would sign a federal bill approving this measure into law if it reaches his desk.

Vance points to efforts by the administration to lift restrictions on the 15% ethanol fuel blend, framing expanded access as a major win for corn growers and agricultural producers across the country.

However, consumer groups and automotive analysts have raised concerns about the hidden financial tradeoff for drivers. Gas stations frequently advertise E15 at a discount of several cents per gallon compared to standard regular unleaded.

Pure ethanol contains about 33% less energy by volume than petroleum gasoline, causing vehicles running on E15 to suffer a 1-2% drop in fuel mileage compared to standard E10 fuel and an even steeper loss compared to pure gasoline.