The first alternative fuels station in Raleigh opened Wednesday afternoon on New Bern Ave. selling E-85 Ethonal and B-20 Bio-diesel.

The Crown Express Mart is one of a tiny number of alternative fuel stations in the state, but experts those kind of stations soon will become commonplace around these parts.

In the last 10 years, only 18 alternative fuel stations have opened in North Carolina.

“It took us five years of those 10 just to get the first station,” explained Anne Tazewell, the program manager of N.C. State’s Solar Center.

But as petroleum prices increase and more and more vehicles are manufactured to use alternative fuels, experts believe alternative fuel stations will proliferate.

“I really see the market taking off mid-year, next year quite a bit,” predicts Steve Walk, the executive director of Protec Fuel.

Experts say a new kind of computerized gas pump will help expand the market for ethanol by making it as easy as a few key strokes to change the gasoline to an ethanol mix.

Currently, E-85 fuel being sold is 85% ethanol. The new pumps will allow instant blending, so merchants can sell E-50, E-40, E-20 or any other ethanol to gasoline mix that the marketplace dictates is viable.

But Walk believes in the next year or so, an E-15 mix will  become a popular seller. E-15 will cost less per gallon than pure gasoline and can be used in any type of engine.

Despite a special introductory price of 85 cents a gallon for E-85 at the Crown station, NBC-17 found many drivers didn’t know their vehicles can use that fuel until it was pointed out to them their engines can handle flex fuels.

Meanwhile, those behind the conversion to alternative fuels at that station hope the New Bern Ave. location will become the smart choice for many consumers.

“There are a lot of flex-fuel vehicles in the general public, but also, the state fleet is just down the road,” said  Walk. “It’s a very convenient place for them to come fuel these vehicles”

One disadvantage is flex fuels can get fewer miles to the gallon than regular gasoline because ethanol does not produce as much energy as gas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Currently 40 models of cars can handle flex fuels, with more models being added every year.