E85 Fuel Economy
So you're at a filling station and you see that E85 is cheaper than gas. "Cool," you think. "I can save money AND help the environment" (assuming you even have an E85-capable vehicle). Then you remember hearing that E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gas) gets less fuel economy than gas. Still, you have to be saving some money...
Actually, you are losing money as we found in our E85 Comparison Test. The drop off is significant, even for highway driving. In our story we tell you how much the fuel economy is reduced and what that will cost you.
But you're helping the environment when you use E85. Right? Well, that's not so clear cut either since carbon emissions are only slightly reduced. See how much it helps in our story.
Okay, then at least you are helping America be energy independent. Well, that might be true.
Some people may decide to pay a premium for using E85 in the name of energy independence. And I definitely applaud that. But I do think that people need the facts before they make that decision. When it comes to our growing commitment to ethanol, it's hard to see the truth in a rapidly changing landscape. We tried to nail down some of the facts in our E85 testing story. We hope you take the time to read it and think about this important subject. The future will be filled with choices, many of them difficult, so it's important to stay informed and remain open minded.
- Posted by
- Philip Reed June 7, 2007, 7:40 AM
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- Fuel Economy
The actual greenhouse emissions while driving are similar for gasoline and E85. The overall impact on the environment is less for E85 because some of that CO2 was originally taken out of the atmosphere by corn plants.
If you look at data on fueleconomy.gov, which includes the production and refining process, using E85 results in approximately 20% net reduction in greenhouse gas emission. They state, "Full fuel-cycle estimates consider all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. Vehicle manufacture is excluded."
You are correct about the decreased fuel economy and increased cost of using E85 instead of gasoline. If ethanol production didn't have such a large tax subsidy from the federal government, using E85 might cost even more. Even in Minnesota, where much of the ethanol is produced, E85 is still more expensive than gasoline on a MPG basis.
Also, the savings for E85 don't necessarily occur at the pump. Because a major reason for huge military expenses (ie. Iraq, others) is the need to stabilize petroleum production, gasoline actually costs the taxpaying public (you and me) over $12 per gallon--that's a fact. Also, the health problems caused by gasoline pollution push that figure much higher, due to hundreds of billions of dollars in medical problem (cancer, asthma...) costs. The consumer who chooses E85 does it not necessarily because of the savings at the pump, but because they are a true patriot who wants to keep the national debt down and help out everyone's health. Though, in Illinois there is a $450 tax rebate for using E85, so even at the pump a savings by using E85 is pretty well guaranteed. Most FFV drivers find a 15% to 20% lower price of E85 compared to gasoline equates the costs. Additionally, some are making some simple modifications to their vehicles to improve the fuel economy (fuel injectors, fuel pumps, spark plugs, air filter, etc.).
In addition, Merrill Lynch, Iowa State University, and other economists state that the presence of ethanol in the fuel supply is keeping U.S. gasoline prices about 15% lower than what they would be. $4.00 gasoline would be $4.60 were ethanol blended gasoline and E85 not available.
The author of the article should read the title.
E85 Fuel Economy
Simply stated E85 expect about20-25% decrease in fuel economy when using E85.
The costs of production and impact on the environment to produce E85 are not readily quantifiable.
Some cons of E85 to consider are availability, cost, decreased driving range, cold starting.
Some pros are less engine deposits, possibility to produce domestically, generally speaking engines specifically designed for E85 can produce greater output for given displacement and thus should be less expensive to make and yield weight savings as well.
American made ethanol.
E85 ethanol fuel in my Flex Fuel Vehicle.
No soldiers died for my fuel
Today on Independence Day 7/04/09
Nor any other day of the year!