An interesting story summarizing the current state of the alternative fuel situation..

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0605/090.html

 

Here's another interesting story on it.

The Ethanol story from Business Week Online

 

From what Ive read ... that new mixture is retarding my engine!

 

All these articles about ethanol are silly saying that ethanol can replace gasoline. There are several problems with ethanol as a fuel, and even having it around in general.

First, the corn based ethanol, which today is heavily subsidized by the government, and pushed religiously by the various corn farming associations. Corn based ethanol is a huge energy deficit when you compare the energy to extract one litre of it to burning the said litre. Now sugar beet and sugar cane based ethanol (which is the exact same, just the sugar comes from a more sugar heavy crop) is much, much better although it is still produced at an energy deficit.

Second, the reason why people get lower mileage with ethanol is because it has less chemical energy per unit mass or volume than traditional gasoline. This means that putting in the same amount of ethanol into a tank as gasoline is going to have less energy than (and therefore less mileage) comparable gasoline fuels.

 

I'll just take one of those electric Ariel's and not worry about gas again

 

It will actualy allow you to run more timing as ethanol base gasoline is less prone to detonation .


On a base or stock ecu , yes you will lose about 6% of your power

On piggy back, standalone or reflashed ecu that can take control of the time will let you run more agressive timing tables to take advantage of the ethanol in the gas .

 

Did you read the articles? Neither comes anywhere close to saying Ethanol can replace gasoline. What part of them do you find silly?

Both articles detail some of the reasons why Ethanol is unlikely to replace gaoline and show it is only a factor because of government subsidies.

 

I'm guessing he didn't actually read either article. Personally, I wasn't able to get to the Forbes one - needs a login ID.

 

out here in Milwaukee, all the gas has 10% Ethanol. Just kills my mpgs, and the gas isn't any cheaper, if anything its usually on the high side, in comparison to other places I travel to, outside of the Midwest. I see no benefit of it currently

 

its 10% in texas as well, at least in the houston area.

I find it interesting that sugar ethanol is much better, yet we are using corn ethanol. apparently the corn lobbyist are much much more powerful... yay guberment! swaying to the richer, rather than the more beneficial!