Production
E-85 Availability – Minnesota is #1 in the United States
July 17th, 2007, 3:49am by Ryan - 4 Comments
In the United States, Minnesota is known to be the number one State in the country for the percentage of immigrants that have come from Sweden compared to the rest of the country over a hundred years ago. Minnesota also ranks first in terms of having the largest availability of E-85 filling stations in the country according to e85vehicles.com
Minnesota is very similiar to Sweden in terms of geography and weather which is one of the reasons there was a massive immigration to Minnesota from Sweden. This immigration was also due to other factors such as the available land for farming combined with the Homestead Act in 1862. All of these factors combined, Swedes found the better employment opportunities in establishing family farms all over Minnesota in the late nineteenth century. This farming industry in Minnesota has progressed to the point today where it is growing, harvesting and processing foods into biofuels, ultimately producing Ethanol (E-85) and is clearly setting itself among the other nearby states as a self-sufficient biofuel industry leader.
Where Sweden is the leader in the Ethanol movement in Europe, Minnesota is clearly designated as the leader in the United States with over 300 stations strong and growing, totalling roughly one third of Sweden’s entire nationwide coverage. In Sweden, there are almost 900 E-85 filling stations covering the entire country according to the Swedish Ethanol Development Foundation. In Minnesota, this works out to about one E-85 pump per every 17,000 persons in Minnesota that has a population at just over 5 million people. In Sweden, there is roughly one E-85 pump per every 10,000 persons with their total country’s population totalling around 9 million people.
When Saab Automobile’s BioPower vehicles are finally imported into the United States in the near future, I wonder if Minnesota would be designated as part of a pilot program in testing the market? With Minnesota the leader in Ethanol availability whilst also being heavily saturated by Swedish immigrants that could be seen as partial to the Swedish Saab Automobile brand as well as to their own farming industry that produce E-85, one could argue that you couldn’t find a better State to begin with in testing the waters so to speak.
If you live in Minnesota, please contact us here describing your thoughts on the E-85 movement as well as what you know and understand about Saab Automobile’s BioPower program that is proving to be quite successful in Sweden.
Categories: 2000-2009, United States
4 Comments
If Saab (GM) is looking to bring the E85 cars to the US, Minnesota is absolutely the perfect test bed for the platform. There are plenty of stations to fill up on E85, and at usually cheaper than standard gas prices (due to subsidies).
I definitely have my fingers crossed, as I’d like to see MN used as a test bed, and I wouldn’t mind driving a bio-powered Saab!
Jon
Two years ago SAAB had a dealer meeting in Las Vegas. Alot was talked about the new bio-power SAAB in Europe. With having a brother in law that sits on the board of directors for two ethanol plants I have great interest in seeing ethanol expansion. After our dealer meeting I tryed to speek with Mr. Spenchian about why the decision was made to debut the car in for all places California, why not in the midwest where everyone was already using some sort of ethanol? He could not get rid of me fast enough. I seriously think GM doesn’t want the bio-power SAAB brought into the states. The other problem is that SAAB can not build the bio-power cars fast enough and sell every one built in Sweden.
The distribution of E85 is an issue in Minnesota. The Twin Cities area contains slightly over half the population of the state, yet most of the E85 stations are in more rural areas. The two Saab dealers in the state are in the Twin Cities — so the natural Saab market here might have some of the same E85 access problems that people in other states.
Yes there is a fair amount of E85 stations here in a little less populated Minnesota. In my opinion well the Bio-fuel lowers the price of gas and releases some of the clutches the middle east has over us. It is driving up our prices on things like milk because of the rising cost for feed. Have to always look at things from every angle to really make an educated decision. I do believe it is worth it and I would glady drive a Saab running the E85 so long as it doesnt have one of those ridiculous Bio Fuel stickers on the side of it.
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