Ethanol is produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple sugars. It can be produced from corn, barley and wheat, among others. It contains oxygen which provides a cleaner and more efficient burning fuel than straight gasoline without any ethanol.
Brazil has been producing ethanol from sugar cane since 1975. This has saved them millions of dollars by removing their dependence on the MidEast for their oil.
Most vehicles produced since 1982 can operate on a mixture of gasoline with 10% ethanol. More and more vehicles every year are built that can run on 85% ethanol and 15 % petroleum.
