Valero Energy Corporation recently announced that one of its company-owned Valero Corner Stores in San Antonio has begun selling E-85, a blend of fuel consisting of up to 85 percent ethanol blended with unleaded gasoline for use in Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).

Valero also announced plans to continue introducing sales of E-85 at new Valero Corner Stores as they’re built. The stores will continue selling all grades of gasoline and diesel fuel at its locations. “There are already millions of Flex Fuel vehicles on the road, and there’s a growing market for E-85,” said Gary Arthur, President of Valero’s Retail Division. “As Valero builds new Corner Stores, we will continue to introduce E-85 sales to satisfy this growing demand.”

“This type of effort by a large retailer like Valero can have a dramatic effect on the availability of E85 and other ethanol blended fuels,” said Ron Lamberty, American Coalition for Ethanol Vice President and Director of Market Development. “Valero’s effort to increase E85 availability shows a confidence that higher ethanol blends will be a growing part of the marketplace,” Lamberty said, “and it will give Valero a leg up in on other retailers who will need to have that same E85 capability to compete for a growing number of new flexible fuel vehicles.” Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors have committed to having 50 percent or more flex-fuel vehicles by model year 2012.

Valero owns and operates nearly 1,000 Corner Stores in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.