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Yeah, I mainly use E85 for short 1/4 mile trips (up a bandi)
I wouldn't really care about the cost per mile of using E85, but it does suck if I have to drive longer distances... shorter range, plus less availability of e85 fuel, and mine doesn't automatically switch from e85 to regular gas, would need to re-tune, etc. So it's very impractical for anything but fun.
If your vehicle has the aerodynamic profile of a small building, higher speeds will kill mpg. Doing the same while having a drive train optimized for towing will further kill mpg.
Flex Fuel is an interesting idea, but I've never found it compelling compared to gasoline. I'd prefer that corn go to reducing the cost of my Doritos. Putting food into our gas tanks doesn't make any sense to me. If the alcohol is produced from a non-food material, that makes sense to me. Now that we're a net exporter of fossil-fuels, Flex Fuel makes even less sense.
Flex fuel was probably a lot more popular back when gas was about $4/gallon and it was still only $2.50.
Damn 60 Minutes on CBS!
[LOL]
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-ethanol-solution/
Quote:
The Ethanol Solution
MAY 4, 2006 / 3:33 PM / CBS
Gas prices are passing $3 a gallon and climbing, oil companies are making record profits and there is serious concern about this country's dependence on foreign oil. Those things have sparked a lot of talk about using something else, instead of oil, to fuel our cars.
As correspondent Dan Rather reports, Brazil faced similar problems and already has solved most of them. Instead of gasoline, many Brazilians are using ethanol - which can be made from plants into a kind of alcohol - to power their cars. It's cheaper and cleaner. As a result, Brazil has virtually stopped importing expensive foreign oil......
Yes, but until recently the Brazilian gubmunt not only subsidized ethanol blended fuel prices, but also ( and still does ) mandate that all fuel be at least 21% ethanol.
During that time I only burned E85Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
I believe US ethanol is highly subsidized and costs more to produce than it's wholesale price. The gubmint is basically paying corn growers not to sell their product for food or animal consumption.Quote:
Originally Posted by SideShow Bob
Part of the logic for government supporting corn based ethanol is to build out the infrastructure for using, shipping and selling ethanol, which will make it easier to justify the expense of researching alternate ways of making it in the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
I like it. I will make it pros and cons to make it easier.
PRO
1. gas mileage is so much better than my previous vehicles. I don't need to spend $ on 91 octane anymore, and don't need to spend $150 on DIY oil changes. (Yes, price of oil and filter costs $150).
2. Obviously the cargo space. I am saving travel time, and gas $ by having less trip to haul stuff. Definitely a good move.
3. My kid loves this truck.
CON
1. Transmission- slow, and seems like ecu are slower I know it isn't those dual-clutch, but seems like about 15 years outdated relative to some German vehicles
2. Navigation system- Not user friendly. Difficult to use. Not intuitive.
3. Interior polymer- Feels like cheaper than Elantra/Accent Civic/Fit corolla/scion relative to the price of the vehicle.
Overall, very happy with the lease.
Now E85 is really only good for supercharged or turbo-charged high performance cars (ones set up for it of course).Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving