New Stripes Store Fills E85 Ethanol Void

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- The newest Stripes convenience store to open in this area is the first gas station within 100 miles of the Corpus Christi region to sell E85 ethanol fuel.

The E85 fuel will be sold from a separate, clearly marked dispenser at the Stripes store at Webster and Bratton Roads here. The alternative fuel is also available at the newest Stripes location in Lubbock, Texas. E85 is made to be used in new flex-fuel vehicles only, and should not be used in cars or trucks with conventional gasoline engines.

"Stripes takes pride in leading the way by bringing a new alternative fuel option like E85 to our customers looking for a cleaner-burning gas for their flex-fuel vehicles," said Steve DeSutter, president and CEO of Stripes LLC. "This is something new for us, but with the number of flex-fuel vehicles growing, and as cities like Corpus Christi push to find ways to improve air quality and make renewable resources a focus, Stripes will offer E85 fuel at more locations if we find that consumers demand that option."

Adding E85 to its offerings is just another step in the c-store operator's bid to support environmental initiatives in the Corpus Christi area. For example, since 1996, Stripes has participated in numerous programs in conjunction with The Pollution Prevention Partnership at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi to help reduce air pollution in the community. Stripes has also installed vapor recovery equipment at each one of its gasoline retail sites; participated in "stop at the click" education campaigns for customer fueling; and hosted several "clean air" events and fairs.

"We've been lucky to have Stripes as a prominent partner on our path to maintain the city's 'clean air' status," said Gretchen Arnold, director of The Pollution Prevention Partnership at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. "Thanks to initiatives like the ones Stripes have helped implement, Corpus Christi can continue to be a national leader in clean air initiatives."