E85 vs Regular Gasoline: Cost Comparison

Key Findings

Flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) get 27% fewer miles per gallon on E85 than on gasoline in EPA ratings: 14.1 vs. 19.2 MPG on average across 96 model year 2020–2026 configurations.
In DOE's April 2026 price report, E85 averaged $3.31 per gallon versus $4.09 for gasoline, 19% cheaper (January 2026: 18% cheaper).
With a 27% MPG penalty, E85 needs to be about 27% cheaper to break even per mile. At a 19% discount it cost about 10% more per mile than gasoline in April 2026.

Sources: EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide (vehicles.csv); DOE Clean Cities and Communities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2026, Table 2; ORNL Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table B.4; DOE AFDC alternative fueling stations by fuel type

Contents

What Is E85
Energy Content Difference
Price Comparison
Cost per Mile Analysis
Data Sources

01 What Is E85

E85 is a high-ethanol fuel blend that only flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to use. The EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide lists a separate fuel economy rating on E85 for each FFV configuration, alongside its gasoline rating.

EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide (vehicles.csv), configurations with an E85 combined rating (combA08), model years 2020–2026

E85 availability has grown substantially. The number of public and private E85 stations in the U.S. grew from 113 in 2000 to 2,296 in 2010, 3,946 in 2020 and 5,100 in 2025, though E85 stations remain a small share of the overall fueling network.

DOE, Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Public and Private Alternative Fueling Stations by Fuel Type, 1992–2025

02 Energy Content Difference

The fundamental challenge with E85 is its lower energy per gallon. The Transportation Energy Data Book lists the heat content of gasoline, E10, E85 and ethanol:

Fuel	Energy (Btu/gal, gross)	% of E10
Conventional gasoline	125,000	103%
E10	120,900	100%
E85	90,700	75%
Ethanol	84,600	70%

ORNL, Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table B.4 (heat content for various fuels, gross values, rounded to the nearest hundred Btu)

E85 has about 25% less energy per gallon than E10, which is consistent with the 27% lower MPG in EPA's FFV ratings.

Calculated: 1 − 90,700 / 120,900 (TEDB Table B.4); FFV MPG ratings from the EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide

03 Price Comparison

DOE's Clean Cities and Communities program publishes a quarterly report of retail fuel prices collected by local coalitions. Its April 2026 issue gives national averages for both quarters shown here:

Period	Gasoline ($/gal)	E85 ($/gal)	E85 Discount
January 2026	$2.89	$2.36	−18%
April 2026	$4.09	$3.31	−19%

DOE Clean Cities and Communities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2026, Table 2 (national average retail prices, public and private stations; prices are collected voluntarily by coalition directors, and the report gives no state-level breakdown)

04 Cost per Mile Analysis

The per-gallon price advantage of E85 is misleading without the fuel economy penalty. Using the average FFV (19.2 MPG on gasoline, 14.1 MPG on E85):

Period	Gasoline $/mile	E85 $/mile	E85 Extra per Year (12,000 mi)	E85 Break-Even Price
January 2026	$0.150	$0.167	+$204	$2.12
April 2026	$0.213	$0.235	+$264	$3.00

Calculated: cost per mile = price per gallon / MPG, using the average FFV ratings above and the DOE report's national average prices. Break-even price = gasoline price × (E85 MPG / gasoline MPG).

Break-even rule: E85 saves money per mile only when its price per gallon is below the gasoline price multiplied by the ratio of E85 MPG to gasoline MPG (0.73 for the average FFV here). In both quarters shown, the national average E85 price was above that break-even price. Individual vehicles and local prices differ, so compare your own vehicle's EPA ratings with your local prices.

Estimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.

Use the Calculator

05 Data Sources

EPA/DOE: Fuel Economy Guide (vehicles.csv), FFV gasoline and E85 combined ratings, model years 2020–2026. fueleconomy.gov
DOE: Clean Cities and Communities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2026. afdc.energy.gov
ORNL/DOE: Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table B.4. tedb.ornl.gov
DOE: Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Public and Private Alternative Fueling Stations by Fuel Type, 1992–2025. afdc.energy.gov

Disclaimer. This article is for informational purposes only. E85 fuel economy and prices vary by vehicle, season and station. The analysis uses average FFV ratings and national average prices and should not be applied to a specific vehicle without checking its EPA ratings. Only use E85 in vehicles designed as flex-fuel vehicles.