Will Flex Fuel Save You Money?

Post by **CherokeeUST** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:19 am

E85 is a lot cheaper than gas now, but it might not save you money to fill up your car with it.

Read more at http://www.kiplinger.com/article/cars/T ... mJd2flK.99

JohnnyBravo · Post by **JohnnyBravo** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 5:20 am

Good article. I know from playing with my wireless OBDII dealy and car diagnostic app that you get significantly different MPG readings between the regular gas, E10, E15(?) and E85 options when you toggle between them.

Post by **ZMiller** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:30 am

If one was to pick a perfect fuel it would be Ethanol. The issue is that there are not enough fueling points nation wide to justify vehicle engines optimized specifically for higher blends of ethanol.

The lack of fueling point infrastructure to support ethanol fueling may be a question more to the point. Ethanol as a motor fuel is anything but new as it has been around quite a bit longer than gasoline. I regularly use ethanol fuel with engines optimized specifically for its use and realize better equipment reliability, mileage and performance than with the same engines using and optimized for gasoline.

Those arguing the point simply need to realize and understand two theories of thought.
1. Engines, optimized for gasoline get more mpg on gasoline.
2. Engines, optimized for ethanol get more mpg on ethanol.

Modern flex fuel engines are optimized for gasoline, but can use E85 and lower mix's of ethanol - so they will get better mileage on gasoline.

SuperTechNOT · Post by **SuperTechNOT** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:19 am

Whats the savings for the country as a whole does not the government spend billions with a b on subsides in the farm bill for corn producers running the feed stock for livestock increasing prices in that area as well. So whats the beef you hear it for both directions

about its good or bad which is it.

SuperTechNOT · Post by **SuperTechNOT** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:42 am

Well guys i've looked into enthanol business studies say it takes 70 percent more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol.One acre is around 7,110 pounds of corn which makes around 328 gallons of ethanol. To harvest the corn takes another 140 gallons of fuel!

Now in the finale process stage it takes 98,000 BTU's to make ethanol which is 76,000 BTU's.SO you can see why all the government subsidies. !!!"DRILL BABY DRILL"!!!

Post by **ZMiller** » Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:02 am

“QuikTrip Corp. will begin offering E15 fuel at 44 of its convenience stores in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metro area. … Other c-stores that offer the fuel include Family Express, Kum & Go, MAPCO, Minnoco, Murphy USA, Protec Fuels, RaceTrac, Sheetz and Thorntons.”—Convenience Store News, March 27, 2017

markroli · Post by **markroli** » Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:35 pm

SuperTechNOT wrote: ↑
Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:42 am
Well guys i've looked into enthanol business studies say it takes 70 percent more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol.One acre is around 7,110 pounds of corn which makes around 328 gallons of ethanol. To harvest the corn takes another 140 gallons of fuel!

Now in the finale process stage it takes 98,000 BTU's to make ethanol which is 76,000 BTU's.SO you can see why all the government subsidies. !!!"DRILL BABY DRILL"!!!

Thanks for the stats. Never knew producing ethanol had such inefficiencies. Oh well, off to fracking then.

Post by **ZMiller** » Tue Aug 01, 2017 2:31 pm

How many BTU's would you think are needed to produce units of gasoline or diesel?

Like most other commodities or necessitates the cost of a gallon of fresh water isn't realized untill the well runs dry.

JamarKilky · Post by **JamarKilky** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 4:54 am

Good read, Mark. Thank you. How does the ECU determine what type of fuel is being fed to the engine?

Post by **ZMiller** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:36 pm

It sees a dramatically cooler temprature out of the combustion chamber and adjusts lean.

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