What do you guys think of E85?

[kkeener]

Check out:
http://www.turbomustangs.com/smf/index.php?topic=47094.260
This is the best thread I have seen on E85 for performance use.

94_teal_gt, I like the way you ran the numbers, but using the numbers from a FFV tarus is not the same.

The people who will benefit most from E85 are those who have to use 91+ octane fuel or Race Gas$$$. People who benefit even more are those running Boost!

The increase in power obtained from the higher octane rating allows for much more efficiency. Read through that post a bit later in the comments people posted their MPG before and after. Instead of the tarus seeing a 25% to 35% loss, these guys are seeing 10% to 20% loss.

That changes things a lot.

Car Highway G Highway E M/G Loss
Tarus 27 20 35%
Mustang 26 23 13%

That means instead of e85 needing to be 35% cheaper to make the cost the same it only needs to be 13% cheaper. And that is just the financial bit, if we were all concerned about fuel efficiency we would be buying civics. People are seeing large gains in power when coupled with high compresion or boost. Consider a step that used to require Race gas at $1 extra per gallon to now using something that is cheaper per gallon.

 

[blksn955.o]

The BIGGIE is the longterm stability of fuel prices. Right now the diff. is not much and with the less effic. rate of use prob. costs more.

However, in 10yrs if fuel prices continue to go the rate they are (doubt they will get cheaper...at least not in the long term). The 15% fuel rate of E85 will shine as since its more domestic and re-newable making it more stable of a market the price of E85 could easly be cheaper as long as the lagistics of stations/refineries/farmers gets setup.

Not to mention I would much rather give ANY overpriced inflated gas price to the farmers who are some of the hardest working group of people that NEED and have EARNED the right to make some good money for a change.

EIther way still I would rather support america and its farmers (or cananaden') and see some of that money stay home.

We could cut out our dependance on damn near all ouside oil...at least the "media" driven mid east stuff anyway.

 

[Therian]

as another positive note:

quoted from the director of the ethanol plant opening near my home town...

"ethanol futures for two years from now are roughly half of what the current price is today"

he also went on to explain that it is extremely likely that within 2-5 years, pure ethanol (not just E85) will be cheaper to buy than regular 87 octane.

combine this with the fact that any one of us can create our own biodiesel that is non-toxic and extremely clean burning...

the future of fuel may just be looking up

 

[94_Teal_GT]

We could cut out our dependance on damn near all ouside oil...at least the "media" driven mid east stuff anyway.

Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. We do not have enough crop land to supply the current demand for fuel.

I recall a show on The History Channel about a new biodiesel plant in Oregon(?). They made mention that it was running on soybeans imported from Indonesia because we don't produce enough raw material to run the plant. Dependence of foreign oil, dependence on foreign crops, what's the difference? Also, a natural disaster means less raw materials and an effect on supply and price. It wouldn't be the same as fixing a damaged oil rig. That supply for the year would be gone.

Therian, I would expect the director of an ethanol plant to be extremely optimistic regarding his product. He wouldn't be doing his job if he wasn't.

 

[blksn955.o]

You do realize that we only get like 10-15% of our fuel from the mid east...yet it is blamed on the majority of cost. All that is needed is to cut out a big chunk of that 10-15%. Cutting that in half would prob. do wonders.

The thing is bio diesel is kinda wierd and with all the fast food and all the other places that use oil (that can be re-used) I kinda find it hard that we cannot find enough. Now maybe its cheaper to import at the cost right now to help offset something in the production. At least its replenisable within a very short time.

Again with E85 I would find it hard with the rather large ton-age of grain that the gov. lets sit and rot (prob. the biggest repos. of this that is wasted) in subsidized farming.

I dont think its a majic bullet, but its prob. the best solution we have seen in awhile.

 

[88gt]

With all the reserves the US has, all the oil in Alaska that the tree-huggers are blocking, we can do with-out foriegn oil. E85 is not a better choice. My POS Ranger is a flex fuel vehicle, if E85 came to town I would love to give it a try. Right now I'm waiting for it to detonate itself to death..

My employer owns 165+ oil rigs on land and off-shore, keep your E85!!

I make good $ due to higher gas prices...my only complaint is we can't reach that oil patch in Alaska....yet....

 

[blksn955.o]

the resurves are for the military in case the line of supply is cut to feed that machine.

I dont think E85 will make that big of a cut in the oil...esp. the oil that we dont have a large problem already getting, read areas that are not causing instablility.

In the end its all a scam, we need it and no matter how much they charge we will pay it. We will go without damn near everything else for it. Basicly high gas prices hurt everything except the oil companies.

Argue supply and demand yet just how hard would it be to be as productive or even just a respectable member of society to do without...really think about that. I am not saying hardworking poor who take the bus are not respectable but that in mass or on avg. just how possible would it be to do without gas???