Biofuel Makers Push to Boost the Amount of Ethanol Allowed in Gasoline to 20 Percent

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Every gallon of ethanol is roughly 1 gallon of oil we do not have to import from the mideast or venezuala. I would rather pay more for domestic sources of fuel than make another country richer. Especiall our enemies. Corn production has increased more in the last 4 years than the entire ethanol industry uses and hopfully it will made from non food sources, grown on land not suitable for food crops at a lower cost in the near future.
I had read reports that the Univ.of MI. has recently tested dozens of car, both old and new using much higher percentages of ethanol without any adverse effect on vehicles as old as 10 years.
If they can make it for under $1.00 per gallon as they say they can, it is the obvious choice until we get electric vehicles powered by clean, renewable fuels. Since any significant volumn of electric cars are 10 years away. Over 50% of the domestic manufacturers they build are E85 capable cars. all we need are more pumps across the country. I think it is time for the FEDS to help make that happen

Edward Frantz of TX 2:21PM March 11, 2009

Most gas docks for boats are "pure" gas, no ethanol which is why boat gas costs about 85 cents more than pump gas for cars. A lot of boats have gas lines, fuel tanks, etc that cannot handle ethanol without causing problems for the boat. There are a ton of cars and trucks that are E85 capable, but almost no gas stations carry E85.

www.PortClintonCanvas.com of OH 9:40PM January 22, 2009

To put a product on the market (E 10)that has not been fully tested is unconscionable! If parts on regular gas powered vehicles and engines start malfunctioning, where does the responsibility lie?
All we have to do is look to the drug industry to products that were put on the market too early.

Dave Kissel of ME 8:26PM December 29, 2008

If I got 20 miles per gallon with gasolene no ethanol. I drove 200 miles and used 10 gallons of gas. I drove 200 miles with E10 and used 11.5 gallons of ethanol mixed in my gas. It doesn't really pay to put the ethanol in my auto, as I used up almost the 10% more fuel. I would have gotten just as far on almost 10% less fuel then with the ethanol. So I bought an extra 1 gallon of fuel plus to go the same distance.

R Juneau of WI 10:57PM December 05, 2008

Ethanol is a carbon based fuel, but I would argue it reduces CO2 output by nearly 100% compared to gasoline... Keep in mind the theory of global warming is the release of "locked-up" (fixed into an organic form) carbon beginning with the advent of the industrial revolution and the use of petroleum. Burning gasoline releases carbon that was locked up before the time of the dinosaurs, while burning ethanol releases CO2 that was locked up this year - and therefore represents no net production of CO2.
I know, it takes diesel tractors to harvest corn grown to make ehtanol. Whatever. Build an ethanol tractor, or an electric tractor for that matter.
I am a proponent of electric and hydrogen based vehicles as well, but I would refer you the CO2 cycle argument. I plan to purchase a real electric vehicle when it becomes available (the Volt looks good to me, if GM is still around), but in VA this simply means my car burns coal and nuclear instead of gas. The argument for wind for now means a significant increase in what I pay per kWh, and the argument for solar is cost prohibitive in my lifetime.

Kurt Clemente of VA 12:49PM November 10, 2008

The reason we are not further along with alternative fuels have to do with the lobbyist in washington. The oil companies have been holding americans hostage while getting rich at the same time. I am currently converting my vehicles to run on hydrogen while we speak. My gas milage will increase 40 to 50 percent and I will be able to afford to travel with my family again. If individuals can covert their own personal vehicles to run on alternative fuels for hundreds of dollars per vehicle if Detroit and the automakers got on board and stopped playing we could all benefit with lower prices as increased manufacturing of these products would bring lower prices. We as americans need to rid these companies and agencies of incapable individuals who cannot figure this out and bring in new blood to move us forward.

Stephen Craig of NJ 5:29PM November 06, 2008

Ethanol is a carbon based fuel. Using ethanol only reduces CO2 output by about 20% per mile driven. Since president elect Obama wants to reduce CO2 output by 87% from current levels, one has to wonder what the long term future for ethanol really is. To achieve Obama's goal, we need electric or hydrogen based powerplants for autos, trains and such. So it is likely that Obama will push research in that direction rather than ethanol production.

Bob of TX 1:59PM November 06, 2008

I just converted my 1999 vehicle to E85. It took me 15 minutes and the conversion kit cost about $350. The car runs great. It does get less MPG but the cost per mile is less due to the lesser price of E85 and the best part it burns much less gasoline. It is a cleaner burning car. I should have all my cars converted by the end of the month. I don't think there are anymore studies that need to be done unless Detroit just wants to stonewall. They prefer to sell their E85 powered SUVs or the V-8 powered sedans but if they really wanted to make this work they would offer E85 on the vehicles they sell the most of not the vehicles they sell the least of. The next time you publish a article you might try talking to people that actually know about the subject.

Jack Hyland of MI 8:15PM November 01, 2008

I just read your article in the November 10, 2008 issue regarding a proposal to boost the ethanol levels in gasoline and the automobile industry’s concerns that they, “might have to adapt their engineering and future designs” to accommodate any such change. I am concerned that your author, Kent Garber, has not done the necessary research regarding ethanol use in this or other countries. As a Navy officer attending America’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Class of 1985), I spent months studying the petroleum industry. My interest in petroleum and alternative fuels had its beginnings in these studies.
The United States and Brazil are the two largest ethanol producers in the world. They produce 70% of the world’s ethanol and when just fuel ethanol is considered, they produce 80%.
The article states that the American automobile manufacturers are skeptical about the increased use of ethanol. Yet, between Ford, Chrysler and GM, there are over 7 million flex fuel vehicles on American roads. These vehicles can burn ethanol-gasoline mixtures up to E-85—that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Unfortunately many owners of flex fuel cars don’t know they are flex fuel and even if they did, they cannot purchase E-85 fuel. On the other hand, in Brazil, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Peugeot, Renault ,Volkswagen, Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Citröen manufacture or sell flex fuel vehicles that can burn any blend of ethanol and gasoline all the way to E-100—straight anhydrous ethanol.. Some 87.6% of auto sales in Brazil are flex fuel vehicles. Brazil also has a national mandatory requirement for E-25 ethanol blend. Brazil has 33,000 ethanol fueling stations while the U.S. has 1,700. Ethanol has 50% of the market share for gasoline in Brazil while it enjoys a whopping 4% in the U.S. The cost to produce a gallon of ethanol in Brazil is 83 cents in U.S. dollars while it is $1.14 in the U.S. Part of the reason—a 51 cent subsidy in the U.S. while there is none in Brazil. Brazil has no import tariff on ethanol—they don’t need it since they don’t import any ethanol. The U.S. must import ethanol and slaps on a 54 cent per gallon tariff.
What is is the difference here and why? First, the Brazilian government is not is the grip of the petroleum and automobile industries. Second, Brazil has developed the national resolve to reduce their dependence on foreign oil and to increase their use of renewable biofuels. One of the greatest benefits has been the reduction of greenhouse gases that is three to eight times that in the U.S. Brian West, a researcher at Oak Ridge Natioanl Laboratory where some preliminary testing of ethanol blended fuels has been done says, their preliminary findsings released in October , “were not discouraging.P However, in typical researcher fashion, West states, “but we need to stress that there is more testing to be done.” Brazil has thirty years of data on the consequences of using various ethanol-gaoline blends. How much more research do we need?
I believe that U.S. News and World Report should do an in-depth investigation as to why we are not at this same point. Why aren’t we using more ethanol in our gasoline? Why haven’t the American industry and the American petroleum industry embraced the technology Brazil has developed to fuel automobiles with ethanol blends up to E-100? Why aren’t we further along with the development of alternative fuels and better ways to produce ethanol? Why haven’t we developed the infrastructure to distribute and sell higher blends of ethanol-gasoline? U.S. News and World Report, you are standing on the edge of a mind-boggling story—why aren’t you doing something about it?

Captain George S. Harris, U.S.Navy (Ret ired) of VA 10:01AM October 29, 2008

You need to examine the facts before you conclude ethanol is a scam. Comphrehensive studies conclude ethanol production is net energy positive (e.g. burning ethanol releases more energy than is required in farming and distilling. Adhering to the first law of thermodynamics, the gained energy is from the sun, absorbed by corn plants and used to fix carbon). The reports are not wildly supportive of ethanol, as the net energy gain is not as great as supporters of ethanol have promised. I remain optimistic after understanding the factors in the studies, including the lack of pipline transport of ethanol and the small economies-of-scale in ethanol distilleries. Existing pipelines were constructed for oil, and ethanol corrodes gaskets and seals, but new pipelines would be constructed with this in mind and existing pipelines can be modified if need be. If an ethanol fuel market is sustained, distilleries will become more efficient and the energy input required for production will be much lower, as is the case for gasoline today.
The food price increase has been addressed numerous times. You don't eat the corn used for ethanol production. Check the facts before you say things like this. The increase in gas prices is more to blame for increases in food prices, as most food is tranported from far away from your local store. If you feel passionately about food prices, shop at a local farmer's market.
Politicians love votes, this is true, but many people love ethanol because of the promise it holds (people who use facts to make conclusions about things, that is). Your vote is yours - use it on election day if you wish.

Kurt Clemente of VA 3:29PM October 25, 2008