Feb 26 2008
Malibu Local Opens BioFuel Station in Brentwood
Click Here to go to the USA Today article. ( They used my photo!)
Christopher Moller, from Malibu, CA, has opened up Brentwood’s first gas station to offer E85 Ethanol, Biodiesel, and regular gasoline. The station, known as Conserv Fuels, is only the second outlet in the state to offer E85 to the public and is one of the few stations that gives Westside diesel owners a chance to fill up on B99 biodisel. The station is located at 11699 San Vicente Blvd. Today’s event from 12-2pm gave GM car owners a chance to fill up their own Flex Fuel vehicles for 85.9 cents a gallon. The price difference will be paid by GM which has sold almost 6 million cars and trucks that can run the alternative fuel.
A Conserv Fuel patron showing his GM notice to receive 85.9 cent fuel. When asked why he came, he replied, “I’m from the Middle East and I want to stick it to those %*$#* by not using their fuel.”
Flex Fuel vehicle owners waited up to an hour to fill up on the promotional priced fuel.
Anyone involved in today’s E85 85-cents per gallon promotion at L.A.’s only station to offer this alternative fuel should be embarrassed and ashamed. I arrived early for the noon-to-two event. The lines quickly formed at every driveway (including the “exit only” drive). By 12:15 only two customers had exited the station with four E85 pumps. At that rate, only 16 drivers would get their fill by the end of the promotion. At one point I backed into the street to let someone leave, only to have my place in line taken.
I would have had to start an altercation in front of TV cameras to save $2.15 per gallon for otherwise overpriced, inefficient, and environmentally questionable fuel. As the gridlock formed, I saw an opening and escaped.
Shame on General Motors for making a selling point of its “Flex Fuel” vehicles when the fuel is not readily available and costs (according to my own test) fully 20% more per mile driven than regular gasoline.
Our government should do more to develop this potential alternative fuel and make it easier to open stations to dispense it. I bought my E85-ready Chevy Avalanche 2-1/2 years before the first E85 was available in L.A.
Conserv Fuel should also be embarrassed for running a miserably planned event with no traffic or crowd control. I can’t imagine they won too many new E85 fans. They definitely lost one.
E85 Ethanol isn’t going to be the answer for tomorrow. I watched a program on CNN where it said that if all the corn in the country was used to create E85 Ethanol, it would only save about 7% of the fuel this country needs to keep our transportation running.
All E85 Ethanol plants are run on COAL and it’s subsidized by the government. Can you say scam?
Thanks Conserv Fuel… I fill my 1997 BMW and my 1976 Porsche with e85 from your pump. Each time I am there your attendent tells me thatI do not have a flex fuel vehicle and I should not use this fuel in my car.
Each time I am there I give him a biz Card and remind him that I have converted 1000′s of cars to Ethanol.
Great fuel and all my users in Santa Monica also fill their vehicles at your station as well.
I would love to get a free e85 conversion kit on one of your cars as well!!!!!!!
Dan Lorenzo
800.376.6380
http://www.mye85kit.com
After reading this blog makes me want to start my own