E-85
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,569
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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
E-85
has anyone that uses E-85 notice a drop in fuel mileage??
wawa has switched from MTBE to ethanol additive, and is now selling E-85 in new jersey. it is on average 12 cents per gallon cheaper. but i have noticed that while my crown vic seems to run better on it,(i have only run 1 tank) it went from 14-18 mpg in town down to 10.2 mpg. and i asked my father, and he said yes, he uses it in both of the vic's, his and moms, and they both took a 5-9 mpg hit. with the 5mpg being his car, and that is the in town car, and the 9 mpg was on moms car, which is only used for long distance highway runs.
wawa has switched from MTBE to ethanol additive, and is now selling E-85 in new jersey. it is on average 12 cents per gallon cheaper. but i have noticed that while my crown vic seems to run better on it,(i have only run 1 tank) it went from 14-18 mpg in town down to 10.2 mpg. and i asked my father, and he said yes, he uses it in both of the vic's, his and moms, and they both took a 5-9 mpg hit. with the 5mpg being his car, and that is the in town car, and the 9 mpg was on moms car, which is only used for long distance highway runs.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2005
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Yup, that's probably about right. Ethanol does not have as much energy as gasoline, and it will require more of it to do the same amount of work. I don't have a flex fuel car, but will consider it, if and when E85 becomes more widely available, and when the costs to use it even out.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
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From: Midwest
yeah,I am not sure I understand why,but the price of e-85 around here(Illinois) is 3.19 a gallon,and cheap grade gas is 3.04. I will not even think about a flex fuel vehicle until the gas mileage/price difference is at least the same as regular gas. 
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2005
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The proponents for E85 keep talking about the benefits of switchgrass due to it's rapid growth, drought tolerance, and it's finished product volume. If it's as good as they claim, they should have this process going quickly, and hopefully this'll bring the price down.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
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From: So Cal
Yup like the guys say, you lose mpg with alcohol/ethanol. The price differential is not big enough yet to justify it for other than political reasons.
Other than not sending all our $$ to the arabs, there isn't much advantage to alcohol fuels at this time.
I still hold out for Fusion which will then make all the other pie in the sky auto solutions affordable. Til then, electric, hydrogen, alcohol etc just aren't as cost effective, even if we are making fat shieks fatter.
Who knows if we will see fusion in my lifetime. Always seems the target keeps moving out.
Just my not pc opinion,
Jim Henderson
Other than not sending all our $$ to the arabs, there isn't much advantage to alcohol fuels at this time.
I still hold out for Fusion which will then make all the other pie in the sky auto solutions affordable. Til then, electric, hydrogen, alcohol etc just aren't as cost effective, even if we are making fat shieks fatter.
Who knows if we will see fusion in my lifetime. Always seems the target keeps moving out.
Just my not pc opinion,
Jim Henderson
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2003
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Originally Posted by cjben
yeah,I am not sure I understand why,but the price of e-85 around here(Illinois) is 3.19 a gallon,and cheap grade gas is 3.04. I will not even think about a flex fuel vehicle until the gas mileage/price difference is at least the same as regular gas.
The ethanol blending sounds great for the petrol companies. Lets do the math. Dilute your original product with something that has less engergy. Pass the increased price of the dilutant on to the customer. Sell the inferior mixed product to the customer that now has to buy more to go the same distance. = No loss in profits + customer has to buy more = very good for petrol companies.
So by all means, YES, let's 'stick it to the oil companies' by forcing them to sell us ethanol blended fuel.
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Thread Starter
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,569
Likes: 5,606
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
ok guys, thanks. i thought i was getting dumber for a minute there and using the caloulator wrong.
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