Price reduction is probably related to the age of the fuel, it is a slow selling product.
Very common in those years. Ford and Chrysler manufactured a limited number of flex fuel vehicles beginning in 1993. Regular production of E85 Grand Caravans started in 1999. Lots of E85 light trucks in the following years.
Flex fuel provides a CAFE advantage for the manufactures; only the 15% gasoline volume is accounted towards the vehicle’s consumption rate.
Toyota manufactured enough hybrid vehicles to be able to avoid the need to manufacture flex fuel vehicles for two decades. Hybrid powertrains cost much more to manufacture, but more suitable for transportation their homeland.