Kum & Go to Add E15 Fuel to 65-Plus Stores

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Kum & Go LC will begin offering E15 as a fuel option this week.

The retailer's first station to offer the alternative fuel will open at 7229 University Ave. in Windsor Heights, Iowa, on April 30. Over the next two years, Kum & Go plans to make E15 available at more than 65 stores across Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Dakota.  

"We have a strong tradition in our company to implement sustainability within our business and at our locations. From our 100 LEED-certified stores to our selection of alternative fuels, E15 was a natural addition to our fuel offering," said Jim Pirolli, vice president of fuels for Kum & Go. "Having E15 in our portfolio allows Kum & Go to offer our customers a quality product at a great value."

Kum & Go has been an industry leader in introducing alternative fuels. In the 1970s, the retailer was among the first to offer 10-percent ethanol blends. Kum & Go expanded its fuel options to include E85 in 1997. Today, Kum & Go offers E85 at more than 160 locations across 11 states. 

Many of its convenience stores also carry premium biodiesel blends and later this month, Kum & Go will open its first compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in Springdale, Ark.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved E15 for use in vehicles manufactured since 2001. To date, E15 is only available at 120 locations in the United States.

West Des Moines-based Kum & Go is the fifth-largest, privately held and company-operated convenience store chain in the United States. It operates 430 convenience stores in 11 states: Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.