(Boating Industry) Consumers remain confused about the multiple fuel product offerings in the marketplace, says a new study commissioned by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 3,000 U.S. adults. The study, which has been conducted annually for seven years, shows lack of education, inadequate labeling and dangerous marketing tactics around new fuel products, such as higher ethanol-blended gasoline, are likely causing consumers to misfuel. The study found that more than one in five outdoor power equipment owners are currently mis-fueling and one quarter have done so in the past.
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The study found that nearly two in five Americans (37%, up from 33% in 2019, 31% in 2017 and 2016, and 30% in 2015) mistakenly believe that higher ethanol blends of gasoline are safe to use for any gasoline-powered lawn equipment or other small engine products, such as boats or snowmobiles. Also:
- Roughly half of outdoor power equipment owners (51%, down from 58% in 2019) say they either don’t pay attention to (25%) or are unsure of (27%) the type of fuel they use in their outdoor power equipment.
- Twenty percent of equipment owners admit they currently use fuel in their equipment with higher than recommended ethanol (E15/E30/E50/E85), up from 12% in 2019, 11% in 2018, 12% in 2017, 8% in 2016, and 7% in 2015.
- A quarter (25%) of equipment owners admit they have used fuel higher than E10 when fueling their outdoor power equipment in the past.
- Just over 1 in 10 equipment owners (11%, up from 6% in 2019), have used an E15 or higher fuel in an engine not designed for it.
Some of the problem boils down to assumptions. More than 3 in 5 Americans (64%) assume that any gas sold at the gas station is safe for all of their cars, as well as boats, mowers, chain saws, snowmobiles, generators and other engine products. The price of gasoline also factors into consumer decision-making, as nearly two thirds of Americans (65%) say they will use the least expensive grade of gasoline whenever possible.
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When it comes to battery-powered outdoor power equipment, over 4 in 5 consumers owning this equipment (84%) say they are likely to charge the battery following the instructions from the owner’s manual.
But, more than three quarters (78%) are likely to charge the battery overnight, more than 3 in 5 (63%) are likely to charge the battery for more than 24 hours, and over half (59%) are likely to leave the battery on the charger until it is needed. All of which could potentially cause damage to the battery or create a safety hazard. READ MORE
