WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Calif.) introduced a bill last week that would require all automobiles built in the U.S. to be flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run on E85.

"With gas prices skyrocketing out of control, it is imperative we reduce our dependency on foreign oil," Tancredo said. "It has become a serious national security issue as well as a burden on every Americans bank account." 

According to the Oil Price Information Service, H.R. 6231 would require all U.S.-manufactured vehicles after model year 2018 to be capable of running on higher blends of ethanol. "The technology to make a vehicle capable of running on any combination of gasoline and alcohol fuel already exists and adds less than $100 to the production cost of a vehicle," Tancredo said.

Automakers that failed to comply with the requirement would be subject to a maximum civil penalty of $10,000 per vehicle in violation. The legislation was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

There are an estimated 1,500 E85 stations operating in the U.S., with approximately 6 million FFVs on the road.