I just got back from lunch... was listening to a talk radio discussion about E85...

If their information is correct... Gas stations in the Indiana/Illinois region have regular unleaded gasoline priced at $2.04 today... those same stations have E85 for $2.87 per gallon.

They also estimate that it takes 1.4 gallons of E85 to get the same milage you would get from 1 gallon of regular gasoline.

Now, as a consumer... there's no way I am running the E85.

Get the price of the E85 to a break even point for cost to milage (which I figure would be about $1.23 in today's scenario) and then I'd run it.

I think E85 is a great idea. I think it is not cost effective yet.

Perhaps the price of E85 will go down if it becomes more readily available...

 

Thanks for that Darth. I'd also want to know EXACTLY how much foreign oil it took to make, that E85, (ie., grow the corn, harvest it, transport it, process it into ethanol, and make E85 with it). More than one gallon of foreign oil for one gallon of E85? I don't know. Could be.

And we need 1.4 gallons for every 1 gallon of gasoline. Hmmm...

Let's be careful here kids. Lots of people stand to make lots of money from this E85 thing. They are going to make it sound like the second coming of Christ. Let's make sure we're not being chumps. Let's make sure that E85 can LESSEN our dependance on foreign oil...not INCREASE it, (and at greater cost to the consumer and taxpayer to boot). I'm not yet convinced.

 

A lady at my work's husband claims to have discovered a new economic way of extracting methanol. I think he invented Splenda too. Anyways, they're getting investors ready and moving foward fairly quickly. For cars, it looks like M85 would be used in fuel cell applications.

http://www.rinnovi.net

 

I see E85's primary benefit at the moment is as an insurance policy against prices going through the roof. I think of it (as well as extracted hydrogen) as a 'competition' to gasoline. Kinda keeping OPEC from running a monopoly once they try to exceed a particular price point (which is not too awfully high IMO)

 

haven't had a chance to read thru this thread...but let me chime in with a couple of things.....

E85 is not readily available everywhere...and the prices fluctuate....but are invariably less in most cases, than regular gasoline including the difference in mileage.

Here's the important part:

If you were to buy a new Impala or Monte Carlo with the base engine.....or the new Tahoe/Suburban/Avalanche with the base engine......or the 800 series Tahoe/Suburban/Avalanche with the 5.3 engine..........you already have flex-fuel capability. It's a 'no charge option' so to speak.

So.....it doesn't matter what the price of gas versus E85 is when you go to fill up......you buy the cheaper of the two.......that ain't a bad thing, my friends........................

There are already over 1.5 million GM cars and trucks out there that can burn E85 without doing a thing other than filling up with it................

A list of the cars/trucks/drivetrains is available, as I recall on
www.livegreengoyellow.com


(edit)

here is the link to determine if your car or truck is compatible:

http://www.e85fuel.com/index.php

 

Here are the GM cars and trucks that can burn E85 RIGHT NOW with nothing to do other than fill up..........

Many of you already are probably driving these...........even S-10!!

2007

Vortec 5300 V8 Chevrolet Avalanche

Vortec 5300 V8 Chevrolet Suburban

Vortec 5300 V8 Chevrolet Tahoe

Vortec 5300 V8 GMC Yukon

Vortec 5300 V8 GMC Yukon XL

2006

3.5L Chevy Impala (LS, 1LT & 2LT)

3.5L Chevy Monte Carlo (LS and LT models only)



2005 - 2006

5.3L Vortec-engine Avalanche

5.3L Vortec-engine Police Package Tahoe*

2003 - 2006

5.3L V-8 engine Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton pickups 2WD & 4WD

5.3L Vortec-engine Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Yukon XLs

2002

5.3L V-8 engine Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton pickups 2WD & 4WD

5.3L Vortec-engine Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Yukon XLs

2.2L Chevrolet S-10 pickup 2WD

2.2L Sonoma GMC pickup 2WD

2000 - 2001

2.2L Chevrolet S-10 pickup 2WD

2.2L Sonoma GMC pickup 2WD

 

If the LS based 5.3's in the trucks and SUV's can be made E-85 capable without sacrificing much in terms of performance then it isnt hard to imagine that another LS based v8 could have the same capability. I would love to be cruising around in a DOD E85 400 horse "mid-range" 5th gen!

 

Scott, what are the chances of flex-fuel capability showing up in the Camaros lineup of engines, whatever they turn out to be?

 

Cost per milage study

Found that when I was looking around. I find it interesting that the Chevy get amazing(better) cost per mile on E30 over UL and gets more miles too compared to the other 2 test vehicals. Once you start adding ethonal to the mixture, the milage and cost just seems to get better and better.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but when methanol burns does it not release formaldehyde into the atmosphere? Sure smells like it at the track. I doubt methanol is going to be finding its way into street cars anytime soon.

 

I'm pretty sure you're correct.

 

I don't think they plan on burning it, but rather run it through a fuel cell. What that actually means is beyond me, but its been done by a few manufactures already according to thier site.

http://www.rinnovi.net/fuel/Methanol%20-%20Fuel1.pdf

They're research is in how to cheaply produce methanol, for whatever reason, one of those is to make formaldehyde.

http://www.rinnovi.net/formaldehyde/form.html

 

Did anyone see the article in USAToday about how oil companies are buying up Ethanol and driving up the price? They are using it to replace MTBE.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...e85-usat_x.htm

 

DOesn't suprise me. Produce safer gasoline, while at the same time raising cost of thier "new" competition.

Win/Win.

 

E85 here in Central IL has been listed for $1.99 at every gas station that carries it for quite a while now. I wish my 97 S10 or 97 Breeze could use it when all the gas stations decide to jack up the price of regular gas to $2.50 for no apparent reason. Especially considering how much I drive for work.