DETROIT — General Motors announced on March 23 that it has provided E-85-capable Chevrolet Avalanches to the Illinois Corn Growers Association, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and the public-private Minnesota E-85 Team, for use in those states as part of a campaign to promote ethanol and E-85-capable vehicles in the state. The presentations were made at events in Illinois at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) to mark the launch of the CBOT Ethanol futures contract; in Kansas to celebrate Kansas Agriculture Day; and in Minnesota to celebrate Agriculture Week. The three states are home to a combined total of 25 ethanol plants, with a total capacity to produce 1,510 million gallons of ethanol annually. The announcements are part of an ongoing campaign by GM and the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition (GEC), a bipartisan group of governors devoted to the promotion and increased use of ethanol. This collaborative effort is designed to increase awareness of ethanol and flexible fuel vehicles, and to promote the increased use of E-85 as a renewable, alternative transportation fuel that is able to meet the demands of today’s drivers. GM is currently the largest producer of E-85 flexible-fuel vehicles in the United States, with over 1.1 million vehicles on the road and with vehicles available for sale in all 50 states. GM approved the use of 10 percent ethanol blended gasoline in all GM products more than 20 years ago, and produces almost five million E-10 capable vehicles annually. “No manufacturer has done more to promote the use of ethanol than GM and today’s announcement is the latest demonstration of our commitment to extend GM’s leadership in manufacturing ethanol-capable vehicles,” said John Gaydash, director of marketing for GM Fleet & Commercial Operations. “We will continue to work with organizations like these today and tomorrow, to promote the use of E-85 and its many available benefits for the environment, the economy and consumers.” GM will provide E-85-capable Chevrolet Avalanches for use in 26 states, including: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Ethanol delivers similar performance to regular gasoline and is a renewable, domestically produced fuel that reduces sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons for improved exhaust emissions performance. E-85, a blend of 85 percent ethyl alcohol and 15 percent gasoline, is produced from the starch in agricultural products, primarily domestically produced corn. Growing corn actually removes CO2 from the atmosphere so that the total effect of using ethanol made from corn is a significant reduction in greenhouse emissions when compared to the use of petroleum-based fuels. GM’s E-85 vehicles are capable of operating on either gasoline or 85 percent ethanol without any additional modifications, aftermarket conversions, or cumbersome switches for vehicle users. Currently, there are over 300 public E-85 fueling sites in operation across the nation. GM has joined a growing partnership of states and organizations that support the increased use of ethanol that includes the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Corn Growers Association, and the Clean Fuels Development Coalition.