Flex-fuel Fans Beware - 9/5/06

A publication has learned that when a flexible-fuel vehicle such as the Chevy Tahoe runs on E85, which consists of 85% ethanol, the mileage decreases from 14 mpg to 10 mpg.

This should be possible in any flex-fuel vehicle because ethanol has a lower energy content than gasoline.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has stated that gasoline takes more fuel to make energy.

However, ethanol is more expensive to purchase at this point in time.  On average E85 cost $2.91 but the fuel economy penalty means they are paying about $4.00 for the comparable of a gallon of gasoline. 

There are only about 800 gas stations in the country that sell E85 out of 176,000 gas stations nationwide.  Most of these pumps are located in the Midwest where ethanol is mainly produced.  So it is harder to even find an area where this is even available.

Ones who are thinking that ethananol is more expensive are not absolutely correct.  There is a lower BTU with ethanol which means a longer engine life.  And when the ethanol is available coast to coast consumers will have the choice of which is more cost efficient.  When gasoline prices are up and ethanol is down, one may choose the ethanol and vice versa.  

Ethanol is hoping to ease our dependence on oil from the middle east and try to move the US away from using nonrenewable resources.  

The Big Three have produced more that 5 million flex-fuel vehicles since 1990 with about 1 million just this year even with the difficulty of finding pumps to serve them.

Source:
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B8698CA19-66ED-4025-B186-7B1C8233AC9E%7D

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