Meijer Announces its First Michigan E85 Pump at New Meijer Store in Warren as Part of Partnership with GM to Make E85 Fuel More Available

WARREN, Mich., PRNewswire/ -- Meijer today announced the Grand Opening of its first E85 ethanol fueling station in the state of Michigan. The pump, located at Meijer's newest gas station at 12 Mile Road and Mound in Warren, will allow Michigan drivers to fill up with the alternative, renewable fuel. The pump is one of 20 which will be installed at Meijer gas stations across the state before the end of this year. The announcement was made today during a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the new gas station. Michigan State Director of Agriculture, Mitch Irwin and State Director of Office Management and Budget, Lisa Webb Sharp, together with many other state and local officials joined the celebration.

"We are pleased to be able to provide our customers with fuel alternatives and choices that diminish our reliance on foreign fuels," said Hank Meijer, Co-CEO and Co-Chairman of Meijer. "Meijer customers across the state, beginning here in east Michigan, will be able to select E85 ethanol when they stop in to fill up at Meijer. As the number of flex fuel vehicles on the roads increase, Meijer wants to be able to provide our customers with convenience while supporting the use of cleaner burning fuels, like ethanol."

In April, Meijer, General Motors, CleanFUEL USA and the State of Michigan announced a collaborative partnership to increase awareness and use of the ethanol based fuel. As part of the partnership, local GM dealers will help promote the new refueling stations when customers purchase its FlexFuel vehicles. GM currently has more than two million FlexFuel vehicles on the road capable of using E85 ethanol fuel, and the new pump is located adjacent to the GM Technical Center, the world's largest automotive development center.

"Michigan is home to one of the largest concentrations of GM's E85 flexible fuel vehicles in the country, with more than 140,000 in use -- many by GM company vehicle drivers working right here at the GM Technical Center," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM Vice President of Environment and Energy. "We're especially pleased to join Meijer in celebrating its first E85 ethanol pump in the state and we commend Meijer on joining our efforts to make E85 ethanol available to more Michigan motorists as we continue to promote the use of E85 ethanol among consumers."

E85 FlexFuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline and/or E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 can contribute to energy independence because it diversifies the source of transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Over the next few months, Meijer will continue to open additional E85 ethanol fueling stations across the state of Michigan, as well as into the state of Indiana.