Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is continuing to push for the use of higher ethanol blends in regular car engines.

Last fall, Grassley and several other senators wrote the Environmental Protection Agency requesting testing of blends of ethanol above 10% for non-flexible fuel vehicles. Now Grassley is asking car makers what they are doing in the area of research and testing on higher ethanol blends.

“It is becoming even more important as we see the maximum market demand for E-10 blends quickly approaching,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday. “It is believed that the E-10 market will be saturated by 2012 or 2013 at about 12 or 14 billion gallons a year. That’s about twice what we producer right now. It is critical that timely approvals be made for intermediate blends of ethanol-blended gasoline for non-flexible fuel vehicles.”

Grassley cites a year-long study by the state of Minnesota and the Renewable Fuels Association showing no problems with ethanol blends of up to 20 percent.

“When I was in Brazil in 2006 I saw first hand, non-Flex Fuel vehicles capable on running on blends of 20 percent to 25 percent ethanol,” he said.

Grassley says movement to higher ethanol blends requires cooperation between the public and private sectors.