We’ve pointed it out before: the ethanol industry has a cunning plan to breach the “blend wall” (a.k.a. the fact that American customers don’t want E85). While they’re waiting, hoping and praying for a Titanoboa cerrejonensi-sized gas price spike, they’re planning on using their political leverage to “offer” (i.e., force) motorists E20 and E30 ethanol blends. The big problem: it’s not entirely clear that engines like to run on those blends. (E85-compatible vehicles are, uh, E85-compatible). In fact, it’s pretty clear they don’t. But that’s not going to stop the lobby from trying . . .
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted a testing exemption to Renergie Inc. Under the test program, the first of its kind in the U.S., Renergie will use variable blending pumps, not splash blending, to dispense hydrous ethanol blends of E10, E20, E30 and E85 to test vehicles. The testing could help determine blend optimization with respect to fuel economy, engine emissions and vehicle drivability. Vehicles will be involved in the test program which will last for a period of 15 months.”
And what, pray tell, is “splash blending?”
In the U.S., the primary method for blending ethanol into gasoline is splash blending. The ethanol is “splashed” into the gasoline either in a tanker truck or sometimes into a storage tank of a retail station. Renergie believes the inaccuracy and manipulation of splash blending may be eliminated by precisely blending the ethanol and unleaded gasoline at the point of consumption.
And if you eliminate the imprecision, then maybe, just maybe, E20 for everyone! By law! There’d be joy in cornville that day. And while lawn mower, snowmobile and jet ski owners contemplate that possibility, here’s a bit of scientific hype for those who still think food-into-fuel will save the planet. Or something.
Tests conducted in Europe have shown that the use of hydrous ethanol, which eliminates the need for the hydrous-to-anhydrous dehydration processing step, could mean energy savings of between ten percent and forty-five percent during processing, a four percent product volume increase, higher mileage per gallon, a cleaner engine interior and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
E10 is already noticeably less efficient than standard gas, and I’m sure harder on the engine. And where I am in NJ, you can’t escape E10 at all.
Ethanol is a scam to continue propping up the failed US agricultural industry that today grows more lobbyists than it does useful crops.
“Wehicles will be involved in the test program which will last for a period of 15 months.”
Chekov?!?!
As much as I hate using corn juice as a fuel, I do think it is best to mix this “stuff” at the pump directly if you are going to use it at all. Remember the Sunoco pumps from the 60’s and early 70’s?? You could choose from the 190 up to 260 — all they did was use a blending valve and proportion the fuel pumped from the 190 and 260 tanks. So, for the ethanol scenario spelled out, all they would need is to either use an existing underground tank or install another one for the ethanol, do the plumbing, and you’ve got it. Existing fiberglass tanks (and all new ones) are 100% ethanol compatable, so that’s not a problem (I checked out the Xerxes Corp. underground tank site to confirm). Splash blending has been a running joke for a while ….. at least at the pump blending is probably more accurate, and can use existing technology.
Now, as to the benefits listed in the last paragraph, I’m not going to TRY to touch that garbage. Like I said, I’m no fan of ethanol, but if we are going to use it, let’s at least do it properly.
Update on the Prius. Despite temps in the 20’s and lower, with salty slush, ice and junk on the roads, snow tires on the car, etc. etc. – i.e. anything and everything to reduce the MPG of the car, I’m now showing over 45 mpg on the car computer. Because I’ve found real, 100% gasoline at ONE station in the area where I live, again. It is $2.09.9 per gallon, but paying 10% more and gaining 20-34% more MPG is obviously a good payoff for me.
You may recall my prior commentaries on TTAC – using E10 over the past few months (because I did not know about the last station standing with real gasoline) netted me 33 mpg on average in the Prius, rather than my 44 mpg “typical” winter average.
That means I was using 33.3% more fuel.
If you think I’m dense, don’t know what I’m talking about, think it’s “impossible” etc., please know these salient facts.
I’ve had two 2nd gen Prius cars; 71,000 miles combined between them over 4 1/2 years; I measure and compare the MPG on the computer; I have been measuring MPG since 1973 and have tested E10 in virtually everything I’ve driven since 1979 (back when it was called “gasohol”) and have found a 6% to 34% reduction in virtually every car I’ve driven/tested it in.
Ethanol is the biggest boondogle we’ve ever seen for automobiles, bar none. Yes, I AM saying that the use of ethanol is actually increasing oil imports rather than decreasing them (especially when you consider that ethanol cannot be put into oil pipelines and must be trucked – using diesel fuel).
Needless to say, both B.O. and G.M. are pro-ethanol.
E20 and E30, if forced into use, will void all new car warrantees except for E85 capable flex-fuel vehicles.
Think on THAT for a moment.
As soon as the last station no longer sells pure gasoline where I live, the Prius is going up for sale.
I can’t find it because searching thetruthaboutcars.com for ethanol gives you a near infinite amount of hits but what ever happened with the article about a school in the midwest testing older vehicles with E10, E20, E30, etc and finding that some older cars got better mileage on higher ethanol mixes?
I don’t remember it being dumped on too badly at the time but since then the anti ethanol stream has widened.
I’m not saying that anti ethanol tirades aren’t warranted but I’d like to know that we are getting a technically accurate stream of information not just every little bit of data that floats by no matter how inaccurate.
I am so glad I live in Canada. We still have normal gas. Except for Mohawk and Husky gas stations. My girlfriend filled my previous car (2006 Focus) with the ethenol blended crap from Husky (10% ethanol). Holy hell, my mileage tanked, performance stank and the car started to rattle more than usual.
I would never, ever, ever even think to put that garbage in my Audi Bi-Turbo. I cry at even the thought. I won’t even gas up at “Fast-Gas” or any of those lower-quality gas stations. Thank god Petro-Canada is immune to the American corn-lobby.
Take a trip to Brazil and rent a “Flex-Power” from Hertz (ask for Astra 2.0, around 110hp on a good day and they are all sticks), have some fun fueling it with everything from ‘Gasolina Especial” to pure Ethanol (Álcool) to “Gasolina Comum” in all sort of weird ratios. You know what? It works.
100% ethanol = more trips to gas stations = more female gas attendants dressed in mechanic’s uniforms w/ shorts = better fuel choice.
Worst performance, but not by far, is with “Gasolina Comum” around Belo Horizonte for some reason. This is their regular gas, formulation unknown… guaranteed to contain at least 25% water if you are not careful with the “posto” you choose. GM’s 2.0L seems happier with this stuff.
Best road performance, but not by much, is after 2 tanks of 100% alcohol.
‘Gasolina Especial’… yeah, the price you pay for that stuff tinted green… Only worth the smiles the attendants gives you when you ask “faz ficar especial,é?” to their shy answer “não, faz não…”. That one remains a mystery. Probably used mostly by the masses of BMW/Porsche/Audi in Sao Paulo when their helicopters are out of commission.
For city driving, 100% regular gasoline, whatever that is, is clearly the way to go. For the 600km between Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte or Rio, 100% Ethanol on the tank on the road is way better for passing on the “Serra”, GM’s ECU does seem to advance timing curve all the way to the next general elections when fed pure rum.
@ frizzlefry / anyone in the GTA:
So you’re saying (all) Petro Canada stations have regular non-spiked gasoline? All stations? What about other brands?
Thanks!
frizzlefry :
Some provinces in Canada are pushing more E10. Here in Saskatchewan, most (maybe all?) stations have gone to E10 for regular fuel… but the premium fuel that my car likes is still Ethanol-free, especially if I stick to places like Petro-Canada or Shell.
menno – who says that OCD behavior can’t produce results? ;);)
Thanks for your persistence.
I wonder if there is a list of stations selling pure gasoline by locale?
A commenter on a non-auto blog alluded to gasoline terroirs like it was French wine. With seasonal and regional blends and now maybe overlaid with corn juice at various levels, there will be more variations of ersatz gas than there are of French wine and cheese combined.
Wunsch: Some provinces in Canada are pushing more E10. Here in Saskatchewan, most (maybe all?) stations have gone to E10 for regular fuel… but the premium fuel that my car likes is still Ethanol-free, especially if I stick to places like Petro-Canada or Shell.
Really? That sucks. I’m in Alberta and we only have Husky and Mohawk selling E10 I’m pretty sure. Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada are all E10 free.
Menno, I’m seriously considering home delivery of gasoline. I don’t know if any stations around here in NE Ohio carry RealGasTM… But there’s an Agriculture fuel supply that will give you anything you want, delivered. Off road diesel, on road diesel, E10, or 100% real gas. With three cars personally, another car that’s my dad’s, and two five gallon gas cans, I think I’ve got an efficient storage and use system in my driveway.
You should look into it if you live anywhere near a rural area.
Wow, chuck, I’ve been called a lot of things (some unprintable – after all, I AM married…) but never OCD… ha!
OK I’ll put it this way; when you have a big screen sitting right in your field of vision giving you constant efficiency reports and you suddenly see a 33-34% drop-off, it kind of slaps one right up the head from both directions.
Not to mention the fact that I had just gotten spoiled with gas prices coming back down from $4.19 a gallon, only to see my efficiency evaporate as ethanol apparently does when going through an Atkinson cycle engine…. or Otto cycle, to a lesser extent…
My solution is this; HEY GOVERNMENT? DON’T DEMAND THE MIS-FUELLING OF VEHICLES! Wow, that’s simple, isn’t it?
GASOLINE cars and GASOLINE-electric hybrids are called that for a reason, eh?
FLEX FUEL vehicles capable of using E85, are – just that.
Hey B.O. and gang? If you have such a hard-on for your ADM friends getting wealthy at our expense, why not simply demand that cars are EITHER produced new as Flex-Fuel OR Diesel OR Gasoline-electric hybrids OR electrics?
oy vey. Thanks, Menno, for the update on the Prius’ gas mileage.
I splash-blend my homebrew and pump Diesel all winter long. Pump X gallons at home, drive the 10 miles to the truck stop by the freeway, splash in X gallons of ULSD D2 from the pump. I can’t wait until it warms up and I can drive on 100% homebrew.
I noted this morning when I filled up that Diesel was the same price as regular unleaded. Diesel’s price has been flat as a pancake all winter long but gas prices around here have been down and up.
–chuck
I would never, ever, ever even think to put that garbage in my Audi Bi-Turbo
It is possible that forced-induction cars would benefit from ethanol; Saab has done some interesting work, wringing impressive performance gains from E100 vis a vis normal gasoline.
Again, though, this is a special state of tune, and a select set of circumstances. And using a net-negative source of energy is still a bad idea. And this engine, like everything GM has done with Saab in the past decade or so, will never see the light of day.
Is it now possible to order 100% pure gasoline online?
I’d love this to see how the STi behaves. It has never seen 100% gasoline.
Ethanol can give you more power in a forced induction application because the octane rating is higher, as in the picture above. However, you still need more of it to get the same power of gasoline.
Why waste time and money with the ethanol, just blend water in with the gasoline. Works as well, and a lot cheaper.
How about I go and shove some sugar-water into the gas tanks of the cars these idiots drive. Oh wait, they don’t drive cars.
Morons, the lot of ’em.
psarhjinian: It is possible that forced-induction cars would benefit from ethanol; Saab has done some interesting work, wringing impressive performance gains from E100 vis a vis normal gasoline.
Oddly enough I just got a nice “Thanks for buying an Audi Package” from Audi. Free subscription to their magazine. Nice. They do include a pamphlet that says…”Currently, many retailers provide fuel with lower-quality additive packages..(continues)..these lower level additives can have a negative impact on engine performance and vehicle responsivness.” Pretty sure they are mostly talking about cleaning additives and how they have been reduced, leading to more engine buildup of engine deposits. You have to reduce the cleaning additives to make room for ethanol.
Anyways, they recommend some retailers that meet TOP TIER standards for gasoline quality and additives. For us Canucks, only Shell and Petro-Canada are on the list. No E10 providers on here, for ones in Calgary anyways
Anyways, they recommend some retailers that meet TOP TIER standards for gasoline quality and additives. For us Canucks, only Shell and Petro-Canada are on the list. No E10 providers on here, for ones in Calgary anyways
I don’t know about Alberta, but in Ontario, at Shell, 87 Octane “may contain up to 10% ethanol” while 89 “may contain up to 5%”. 91 (which I feed my Saab) is explicitly labelled as ethanol-free
@crackheadalley
You came down here and rented a Chevy Asstra? Good choice. The engine is a 1960s GM engine with minor modifications. Drinks like there’s no tomorrow, can’t rev for s***, is noisy and shakes all over, low hp for the displacement. Torquey down low though and relatively reliable.
So you fly 1000s of miles to another country and rent a Chevy. Probably ate at McDonald’s too.
What a way to see the world.
FWIW, I live down here and don’t have as superficial a vision as he does. I mean, I have to deal with this s*** everyday. There are available at Brazilian gas stations:
Premium Gasoine : Higher octane stuff that only a Ferrari can fully appreciate
Additivated (??) or maybe Special Gasoline: Comes with some cleansing chemicals that reportedly keep your engine cleaner.
Common or Regular Gasoline : is just gasoline with no cleaning chemicals.
E100 : 100% sugar cane juice, and as a rule of thumb, you have to multiply gas prices by 70% if the price of ethanol is lower, go for it, you lose in mileage, but the car gets some extra hp, burns cleaner (no sludge issues when using ethanol).
BTW All gasoline in BRazil comes with, by law, 21 to 27% ethanol. This range is used to “control” price fluctuations.
All said, I’d much rather burn dino juice all day long.