D.C. Inaugurates a Flex-Fuel Filling Station

Owners of flex-fuel vehicles filled up with an E85 ethanol blend in the District for the first time on Thursday, at the Georgetown Chevron, 2450 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

The alternative fuel began flowing at 6 p.m. and attracted two customers who bought 15 gallons opening night. "They were very excited and said that they wished every car took ethanol," said Surafel Afres, an employee at the station. The station is equipped to pump 1,000 gallons a day.

Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Properties, which operates the gas station, is hoping to find a loyal customer base in drivers of government-owned flex-fuel vehicles that can run on gasoline or E85 fuel, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Enterprise Rent-A-Car said it will fill up its 50 GM flex-fuel vehicles at the Georgetown Chevron.

The Georgetown Chevron joins a Navy Exchange station in Arlington as the only two places in the Washington area to find VeraSun's branded VE85.

VE85 is cheaper than gasoline at $2.55 a gallon, and the station will occasionally promote VE85 at 85 cents a gallon, said Mid-Atlantic's Thomas McDowell.

-- Xiyun Yang