# Plain Language Summary: Next Generation Fuels Act of 2021

This bill requires car manufacturers to build new vehicles starting in 2026 that can run on higher-ethanol gasoline blends. Specifically, cars made from 2026 through 2030 must be designed to safely use gasoline mixed with up to 25% ethanol (a corn-based fuel additive), and cars made from 2031 onward must handle up to 30% ethanol. The bill also sets higher octane requirements for these vehicles—meaning they'll need to run on premium, higher-octane fuel to function properly. Starting in 2026, new cars will need at least 95 octane fuel, and from 2031 onward, they'll require 98 octane fuel.

To make this work, the bill requires gas stations to install special equipment that prevents people from accidentally putting the wrong fuel in these vehicles. For example, a 2026 car designed for high-ethanol fuel won't be able to accept regular low-octane gasoline. The bill also requires manufacturers to test these vehicles using the higher-ethanol fuel blends to ensure they work properly and to calculate their fuel economy fairly. This is important because ethanol has less energy than regular gasoline, so the testing needs to account for that difference.

The bill includes penalties to discourage cheating. Car manufacturers who don't comply face fines up to $5,000 per vehicle, while gas stations that don't install the required equipment face fines up to $2,500 per pump. People who try to bypass these safety systems—for instance, by modifying a vehicle to accept lower-octane fuel—can also be fined. The underlying goal is to promote the use of ethanol as a fuel additive, which the bill argues produces lower carbon emissions than regular gasoline while allowing cars to be more fuel-efficient through higher engine compression.

Next Generation Fuels Act of 2021

Bustos, Cheri

Next Generation Fuels Act of 2021 This bill supports the use of biofuels (e.g., gasoline blended with ethanol) in vehicles, including by establishing a minimum octane standard for gasoline as well as making related biofuel requirements for vehicles, their fuels, and fuel infrastructure.