Ethanol Questions Fuel a Pushback Over Regulation Changes

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I get approx 5-6 mpg less on ethanol than non-ethanol gas in all of my vehicles. I tracked the mileage for almost a year and it was consistant. What good is ethanol if you get less MPG? I end up filling more often and using more gas.
My cars also knock and ping more using Ethanol vs regular gas. Luckily there is one station left that does not use Ethanol but sadly, someday they will be gone and I will be stuck with this horrible solution. Whoever invented Ethanol is a left wing environmentalist.

Art of NE 2:31PM July 18, 2010

cause i said so

ksdfk;akjb of OH 8:04AM April 08, 2009

we had the chance to have hybrid cars in the 90s when clinton had the big3 make prototypes. the problem was and still is that big oil and the Saudis would take a major hit . the program got killed in the US but honda and toyota who worried about market share kept working on it and produced excellent hybrids .we got greedy corn producers who pushed ethanol with corn even though its clearly not the best choice for Biofuels . ,its a waste of tax payer dollars at this point and it should be shut down . there is little chance of that when Obama comes from the state of Ill a major corn belt state . the real savings for this country would have come from hybrid electrics and pure electrics with the latest battery tech & changes in MPG standards.these programs got killed because it would cost the likes of ADM Exxon Saudis billions! these companies expect a $ return from the elected tools ! ethanol is a joke ! your paying almost twice as much compared to Oil when you factor in the resulting higher food cost! The corn lobby is stealing your tax money demand an end to ethanol

bruce carras of PA 1:59PM January 12, 2009

About 20% of the corn in the US is made into ethanol. It takes about one barrel of oil to make 1.1 barrels of ethanol (it takes fuel to run farm equipment and to make the stuff). Ethanol attracts water and can't be shipped in pipelines, so it must all be trucked around to refineries to blend it in. The efficiency of ethanol is something like 70% of gasoline (less BTU's). If we grew sugar cane like Brazil maybe things would be different but we don't. So bottom line is this is just another Government feel good waste of corn (food).

Blues Dude of AK 10:21PM January 08, 2009

Instead of worrying about ethanol maybe its time the people stood up and demanded alternative fuel methods. Its complete b/s that our whole economy is based on oil. Many people do not realize that there have been 2 separate H2o engines designed that worked but of course we don't see those because then the oil titans would lose all their undeserved money. Henry Ford also designed an automobile made entirely out of hemp and hemp fuel to power it. It scored better in crash ratings than other cars of his era. However because of the out-of-place cannabis laws he was not allowed to mass produce. All I ask is that you open your eyes. I am sure that I am not the only American thinking this way and its time we stood up for ourselves. We are a country of the people, for the people and by the people. And yet America has lost its way.

J Garza of NC 6:18PM January 08, 2009

Cars that have been run on gasoline for an estended time accumulate varnish and sludge which ethanol may dissolve or break loose and plug the fuel system, thereby cleansing the sysstem and raising your ire, understandably. A clean system or one only slightly corrupted will run cleaner and probably last longer.
Ethanol is generally cheaper than gasoline at the wholesale level and its inclusion in a blend lowers the cost to the retailer. The regular blend and regular probably cost $,15 to $.20 less because of ethanol availability to the monopolistic oil industry.
We spent near $700 billion per year for imported fuel recently which may have been a greater hemorrhage than the stock market crash, the housing market bubble. or the liquidity crisis over the last 40 years since we reached our peak domestic production--and it appears the decline is irreversible.
It reportedly takes 1.2 units of energy to bring one unit of petroleum energy to your gas tank.
The cost of gasoline is probably much more than twice the cost of ethanol in retail price and taxes when international relations (wars and military support). subsidies to the oil companies, tax exemptions, special provisions for the oil companies, and other considerations which I'm only vaguely aware of.
Transitions of ingrained attitudes and habits are painful, but sometimes necessary. I hope we make this one of anticipation and pleasurable expectancy.

Jimmie Dean of OK 10:09AM January 07, 2009

This doesn't address the small engines of lawnmowers, 4-wheelers, etc, that do not suggest using ethanol at all. In fact
older Briggs & stratton 2-20hp engines have a part in the carb that corrodes from ethanol. Yes there is the higher octane gas which is more expensive and has no ethanol, but I'd rather see straight 87 octane gas available too.

Rat of MN 11:42AM January 06, 2009

Should California consider a fee on corn fuel ethanol use?
* * Lower price for food, gas, water, beer, cleaner air and funds for the budget from oil profit.

Charlie Peters of CA 3:39PM January 01, 2009

Does corn fuel ethanol policy increase oil use and Big oil profit?
* * * Some folks think so

Charlie Peters of CA 3:35PM January 01, 2009

Ethanol mixes with water, petroleum does not. Ethanol as a gasoline additive at a small percentage is not usually difficult to deal with, it can be one way to marginally raise octane. It tends to drop out of suspension with gasoline- one car fueling in the morning when the tank has not been disturbed could get 40% alcohol. Another motorist refueling in the busiest time of day may only get a 5% alcohol percentage. Ethanol at 100% is a good fuel but I don't like it in gasoline. I feel much of this push to gas-o-hol has been sold by the farm lobby- not science. There are many drawbacks--Corrosion, poorer milage, higher pollution. Every fuel has a heat value, alcohol is less than gasoline. You must burn more of it to get the same amount of power.

Bub Porter of OH 9:36PM December 30, 2008