Ethanol vs. Gasoline
>> Listen to this Article or Add to Podcast
As the price of gas hits record highs, alternative fuel sources continue to be debated. One alternative fuel which has been touted for years as a renewable, low-emission resource that could replace oil is gaining momentum.
More than four million vehicles on the road today can run on gasoline as well as ethanol, the clean-burning fuel made from corn and other biomass sources. The number of stations in the US offering ethanol has also jumped 60 percent since the beginning of the year.
Current flexible fuel vehicles can run on as much as 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. A gallon of ethanol is 20 to 30 cents less than regular gasoline, with little difference in ease-of-use at the pump or car performance. General Motors says as much as 30 percent of our gasoline consumption could be replaced by ethanol if it were to become available across the country.
Media:
Related Articles:
Home-Grown Fuel Source More Widespread As Gas Prices Hit Highs
As the price of gas hits record highs, alternative fuel sources continue to be debated. One alternative fuel which has been touted for years as a renewable, low-emission resource that could replace oil is gaining momentum.
More than four million vehicles on the road today can run on gasoline as well as ethanol, the clean-burning fuel made from corn and other biomass sources. The number of stations in the US offering ethanol has also jumped 60 percent since the beginning of the year.
Current flexible fuel vehicles can run on as much as 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. A gallon of ethanol is 20 to 30 cents less than regular gasoline, with little difference in ease-of-use at the pump or car performance. General Motors says as much as 30 percent of our gasoline consumption could be replaced by ethanol if it were to become available across the country.
Media:
Related Articles:
- The Ethanol Boom
- First Ford Flexi-Fuel in Britain
- Ford Leads With Bio-Ethanol Powered Cars For Europe
- Saab 9-5 BioPower Flex-Fuel Launched in the UK
- Competing With Hybrids
- Global Alliance for Hybrid Drive Development
- Debate Over Clean Car Technology Rages On
- Enova Furthers Hybrid Drive Market Capture in U.K. and Asia
- Greener Motoring Showcase Opens in Birmingham
- Action to Make Transport Fuels Greener
- Volkswagen to Make Hybrid Cars with China
posted by Jon Fry at 8:48:00 AM
4 Comments: Please Post a Comment
Jonathan said, "A gallon of ethanol is 20 to 30 cents less than regular gasoline, with little difference in ease-of-use at the pump or car performance."
Ethanol at 20-30 cents less than regular gasoline is not a bargain.
Reason: A gallon of ethanol contains far less energy than a gallon of gasoline. In fact, because of its lower energy density (a gallon of regular gasoline contains about 114,000 Btu, while a gallon of E85 contains only 82,000 Btu) a gallon of E85 should cost no more than 72% what a gallon of gasoline costs to deliver an equal amount of energy.
Based on energy content and not volume, the equal value price point of E85 per gallon should be only 72% that of gasoline.
Still ethanol achieves more complete combustion than gasoline and thus most people consider it to have about 80% the energy production per volume as compared to gasoline. Add to that the fact that the reduced incomplete combustion products will make your cars engine run longer, and the question of economics becomes less clear. Then there is of course the price that a warmer planet will cost everyone which is impossilbe determine, but potentially substantial.
Finally, and most importantly, if ethanol recieved the same level of subsidies and the ethanol companies got has the same political influence as the oil companies, ethanol wouldn't even come close to costing 72% the price of gasoline.
If this is true then why even use Ethanol.
Gary is correct.
In fact, the government pays subsidies on ethanol to the tune of $0.51 per gallon.
You need to consider that corn needs to be planted, fertilized, harvested, trucked, processed (cooked), refined, then trucked. So what we are really doing is converting gas and natural gas into ethanol.
The more efficient combustion is due to newer engines which do the same for gas.
About the only positive side is that it' a step. I'm hoping fuel cells can break loose.
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Return to The Home Page