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Hybrid Vehicles Ethanol - E85 FlexFuel Is Ethanol good for the environment?
165 messages, Last post on Sep 24, 2008 at 5:25 AM
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I read so many posts here about how people just can't stand to have something new. Most of the problems for E85 are similar if not the same for any other fuel. Other than the obvious and most important ones. Which are 1. it's not foriegn oil dependant (or at least doesn't have to be.) 2. better for the air, if at least 10% better, that's at least a move in the right direction. 3. can be cheaper in the long run. All of that is more than enough for me to consider E85, what's you're excuse for not trying it? My only excuse right now is I don't own the vehicle that uses it yet, and it's not readily available. Once those are solved, I'm an E85 customer.
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Replying to: narg (Mar 02, 2006 5:13 pm) Why does it need to be subsidized and mandated by the government? If it is a viable fuel it should be able to compete in the market with gasoline at some point. Has there been anything to indicate that this will ever be the case? Mandating or subsidizing ethanol is just providing corporate welfare to ADM, IMO. According to this analysis: http://zfacts.com/p/60.html the production of 6 gallons of ethanol saves only 1 gallon of gasoline. The cost of saving this one gallon of gasoline comes to almost $8, according to that link. E85 is just a marketing ploy, so one can pretend to be saving the world while driving a fuel guzzling SUV. |
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Replying to: narg (Mar 02, 2006 5:13 pm) I had a Caravan once that was a FFV. I put in E85 for a while, my 25 MPG dropped to almost 16 MPG. Sorry but seeing I lost 1/3 of my mileage with E85 I will never go back. |
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In Brazil, sugar cane provides ethanol in such huge quantities that the country imports no more oil. Brazilian vehicles are dually fuelled with only minor engine adjustments and consumers buy the mix they want at every 'gas' station using separate 'pure' pumps. Brazil now exports both their excess ethanol and their technology. Canada is into the ethanol experiment. China, the country that promises to absorb all oil production if you believe the prognosticators, built 100 ethanol production facilities only lately. They use corn, not sugar cane as the base product. Don't think we'll run out of oil any time soon. Commodities market watch |
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| Found this forum while looking for info on e85-it seems bad news for the environment. I have a list of trucks that have flexifuel engines. I am considering a used flexi truck-now not so sure. I could see a day when perhaps there would only be e85 available because of shortage or boycott or war or who knows why--then at least you could drive. That was one of my reasons-- all the others--cleaner air--economy-and thinking progressive--just fell by the wayside. In the 70's Mother Earth News used to discuss how to build an alcohol still-- use corn mash to make it and how to modify a carburator to run on it. Its pathetic it took so long to consider this alternative--lots of wasted time to solve pollution & mpg. issues. Its always about who has the influence. The oil lobby will smile once they get their investments in place. I can hope some of the business decision makers researching these environmental issues will provide solutions. I dont want to make the air worse then it is!! As I recover from all this bad news--Three questions remain- 1. do flexifuel engines have any special problems or defects 2. how healthy is the air in Brazil? and 3. does Bill Gates concern himself w/the environment? | |
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Okay it looks like the government is about to force Ethanol upon us at an increase in cost of 25 cents a gallon. What worries would we have about Ethanol prematurely deteriorating petroleum derivative connections along the fuel path, i.e. isn't; Ethanol hard on rubber, plastic and other petroleum derivative products, significantly shortening their lives. Have never cars provided additives to prevent this deterioration. What about older cars? How old is a problem? Thanks, MidCow
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Replying to: midnightcowboy (Mar 15, 2006 7:23 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (Mar 15, 2006 7:41 am)
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Mar 15, 2006 8:09 am) |
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Replying to: nml4life (Mar 17, 2006 7:41 pm)
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