FRAMINGHAM, MA – In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Gulf Oil announced the grand opening of its E-85 fueling station at the Charlton East Service Plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), ready to service travelers with flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs). The station is one of four new Gulf E-85 fueling stations planned for the Turnpike.

To date, Gulf has three E-85 fueling stations open at Service Plazas on the Turnpike – Charlton Eastbound, Charlton Westbound, and at the Westborough service plaza. More than 100,000 FFVs are registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to Gulf Oil.

According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, there are more than 2,400 E-85 ethanol fueling stations in the U.S.

“MassDOT is committed to meeting the needs of its customers. Our residents and visitors are choosing to purchase flex-fuel vehicles. By working with our partners at Energy and Environmental Affairs and Gulf Oil, we are able to now offer travelers three fueling locations along the Massachusetts Turnpike and also advance our GreenDOT goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey.

“We are excited E-85 is now available on the Massachusetts Turnpike,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan. “With this opening, access to alternative, domestic fuels is increasing; and that’s an important step in achieving energy security and protecting our environment.”

“This partnership is an important example to the nation of how the public and private sectors can work constructively to solve one of the most important issues of the 21st century: our nation’s energy security. Energy security and environmental improvement can be simultaneously achieved,” explained Gulf Oil President and COO Ron Sabia. “We wish to thank all of the Federal and State officials and private industry executives for having the vision and foresight to help make our E-85 fueling stations on the Massachusetts Turnpike a reality.”

Gulf opened its first E-85 fueling station in Massachusetts at 100 Service Road in Boston at Logan Airport in October 2008.