Partnering for Success
Working with others can make your project more successful and help conserve resources. Here are some tips for making your E85 infrastructure project a success.
Always talk to several people that have had experience with E85. We encourage you to read the fleet case studies contained in this toolkit as you may find an operation similar to your own. Contact information is also provided in those case studies, so please use this information to your advantage.
It is critical to any fueling station's success to have a dependable fuel supplier and a certified contractor that is familiar with E85. Although ethanol fuels are in wide use today, many old misconceptions remain. Shopping around for the right contractor is time well spent and will likely save you money and problems in the long-term.
Contact your closest Clean Cities coalition, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, and/or your state energy office. Each of these may be able to assist with industry contacts familiar with E85, E85 suppliers in your area, possible project funding, partnership opportunities, driver education materials, and dispenser labeling materials.
Seek potential partners that can share the expense of installing an E85 fueling station. Many times a near-by fleet may also be interested in evaluating E85 fueling possibilities. Contact other businesses to determine their interest level. You may find that installing a centrally located station, or a station at another fleet site, may be the key to a successful partnership at a fraction of the cost of developing a station on your own. Routes, fleet locations, and fueling requirements may limit the possibility of sharing fueling resources, but it still would be valuable to research the possibilities.
Partnering and participating with your local Clean Cities coalition can make a big difference in getting additional resources and contact information. In addition, Clean Cities can help with vehicle acquisitions, educational materials, and public relations events to showcase new fueling facilities.

