Click for More Clean Air.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) yesterday adopted amendments to the state’s gasoline regulations to support the availability and use of E15 fuel in California. E15 is a vehicle fuel that is a blend of up to 15% ethanol, a low-carbon alternative fuel. Previous California rules allowed up to 10% ethanol which is the current standard at stations today. E15 is legal in 50 states and available in 36 states.*
“Thursday’s vote provides further certainty to fuel producers and providers interested in selling E15 in California. The decision follows Governor Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 795 this week to accelerate the approval process for E15 dispenser components while also maintaining public health protections,” CARB said in a release.
In October 2025, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 30, allowing E15 to be sold in California while CARB finalized the rules adopted today. E15 was the subject of a detailed scientific evaluation to ensure its use will not result in adverse impacts on public health or the environment. The assessment found E15’s impacts to be comparable to E10, with a potential for slight improvement in air quality. Overall, the evaluation determined that the primary health and environmental concerns associated with the gasoline blend come from petroleum portion of the fuel.
What Californians Should Know
- E15 will continue to be authorized for sale in California at gas stations. State law requires dispensers to be clearly labeled, and consumers should consult their owner’s manual to determine whether the fuel is compatible with their vehicle.
- Availability of E15 helps increase the number of choices consumers have at the pump and could help reduce gas prices.
- Ultimately fuel providers set the price of gasoline and decide which fuels to sell.
- The move supports expanding consumer fuel choices following Governor Newsom’s direction to prioritize the rulemaking.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
CARB Adopts Rules Supporting Use of E15 Gasoline
Click for More Clean Air.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) yesterday adopted amendments to the state’s gasoline regulations to support the availability and use of E15 fuel in California. E15 is a vehicle fuel that is a blend of up to 15% ethanol, a low-carbon alternative fuel. Previous California rules allowed up to 10% ethanol which is the current standard at stations today. E15 is legal in 50 states and available in 36 states.*
“Thursday’s vote provides further certainty to fuel producers and providers interested in selling E15 in California. The decision follows Governor Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 795 this week to accelerate the approval process for E15 dispenser components while also maintaining public health protections,” CARB said in a release.
In October 2025, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 30, allowing E15 to be sold in California while CARB finalized the rules adopted today. E15 was the subject of a detailed scientific evaluation to ensure its use will not result in adverse impacts on public health or the environment. The assessment found E15’s impacts to be comparable to E10, with a potential for slight improvement in air quality. Overall, the evaluation determined that the primary health and environmental concerns associated with the gasoline blend come from petroleum portion of the fuel.
What Californians Should Know
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.