CGSB Publishes New Edition of Standard for Automotive ethanol fuel (E50-E85)

The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) has recently published standard CAN/CGSB-3.512-2013, Automotive ethanol fuel (E50-E85). This National Standard of Canada has been specifically developed to help ensure acceptable vehicle operability in Canada’s cold winters. It applies to automotive fuel composed of 50 to 85% by volume denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline strictly for use in flexible fuel vehicles over a wide range of climatic conditions.

This standard addresses four volatility classes where the denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline of the fuel blend are seasonally adjusted to ensure adequate startability, operability and safety. The composition of Automotive Ethanol Fuel (E50–E85) is seasonally adjusted based upon climatic history, and varies from 85% to as low as 50% by volume denatured fuel ethanol under warm and cold climatic conditions, respectively. The proportion of gasoline is increased at lower temperatures to increase vapour pressure and so improve flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) operability.

This fuel has been designed for and can be used in over one million flexible fuel vehicles (FFV)s sold in Canada in the last ten years.

This standard is referenced in the B.C. Reg. 498/95 — Cleaner Gasoline Regulation under the B.C. Environmental Management Act. This regulation defines the requirements for gasoline to be sold in British Columbia.

This new edition of the standard was prepared and approved by the CGSB Standards Committee on Gasoline and Alternative Automotive Fuels and has been published in August 2013. The standard is available for purchase through the CGSB Purchase Standards.