Do not be misled into thinking higher octane gas contains less ethanol. In fact, depending on the brand and region, it often is more. The octane rating of pure ethanol is ~100, but when it is blended with gasoline am told it performs as if it is > 110. In other words, higher-octane blends — like Petro Canada’s 94 and Esso’s 93 — often appear to use more ethanol, not less. WTS, Chevron Canada’s 94, available in British Columbia, apparently is ethanol free and it comes with a great additive package. I wish we could get it, or a similar product, in Toronto.
For those storing their vehicles for the winter (like some of us in the Great White North do), there are gasoline brands that offer ethanol-free formulations specifically tailored for a long shelf life (as much as two years). For those on a budget, a trip to Canadian Tire for some fuel stabilizer is usually good enough to preserve your pump gas — in Eastern Canada use Shell and Esso 91 stuff for over the winter storage — to avoid ethanol in your fuel system.
A little creativity, and some common sense, can help here. But higher octane rated fuels and third-party additives often are not the better way to go. Good quality, branded no ethanol gasoline is (IMHO).
