The Family Express chain in Northern Indiana reports tripled sales of E85 since they began selling the product for $2.99 per gallon nearly a month ago. Customers are touting the alternative fuel blend as being less expensive than regular unleaded gasoline and that is why they claim to use it.

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) recommends to retailers to price the product at least 20 percent below unleaded to make up for the fuel economy loss that is evident. “It has less energy in it,” than petroleum, Executive Director of the NEVC Phil Lampert said. “But if it’s priced at 20 percent lower, most motorists will gain some value.”

Family Express President and CEO Gus Olympidis said he dropped the price of E85 to $2.99 a gallon at his northern Indiana stations not only because ethanol “is cheaper right now than gasoline,” but because U.S. grown corn goes into the blend. “We make it here,” Olympidis said.

Competing fuel retailers have also dropped the cost of their E85 to stay competitive and have noted that sales have also increased considerably.