Comments on: 25% of New U.S. E85 Production Now on Hold http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/ The Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:29:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Facebook User http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-228472 Facebook User Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:47:21 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-228472 Ethanol particularly sucks as a fuel in cars designed to run on gasoline, since those engines don't take advantage of ethanol's high octane rating. Ethanol particularly sucks as a fuel in cars designed to run on gasoline, since those engines don’t take advantage of ethanol’s high octane rating.

]]> By: Engineer http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-227262 Engineer Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:21:53 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-227262 Exactly, kph! You may be interested in <a href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/hydrothermal_gasification.pdf" rel="nofollow">catalytic hydrothermal (i.e. wet) gasification</a>. Seems like there might be some good coming from the federal government, even if it's more by accident than design... <i>Well I’m a contrarian so I’ll just say that it still looks like if they can commercialize the cellulosic ethanol instead of the corn ethanol (and possibly even just use sugar ethanol imported from the Caribbean) it could be pretty good stuff</i> The trouble is that ethanol sucks as a fuel (great for internal consumption) due to its properties. And <b>no</b> amount of research or political interference are going to change those. Bottom line: Biofuels: YES! Ethanol: NO! Exactly, kph!
You may be interested in catalytic hydrothermal (i.e. wet) gasification. Seems like there might be some good coming from the federal government, even if it’s more by accident than design…

Well I’m a contrarian so I’ll just say that it still looks like if they can commercialize the cellulosic ethanol instead of the corn ethanol (and possibly even just use sugar ethanol imported from the Caribbean) it could be pretty good stuff
The trouble is that ethanol sucks as a fuel (great for internal consumption) due to its properties. And no amount of research or political interference are going to change those.

Bottom line: Biofuels: YES! Ethanol: NO!

]]> By: kph http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-226752 kph Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:02:18 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-226752 Personally, I think biofuels are feasible, just not with corn. Biomass gasification (not celluosic ethanol) doesn't quite reach positive net energy, but it at least gives us liquid fuel from any source of carbon, even trash. As these processing plants scale up, they could bring down the price of ethanol to make E85 a more attractive alternative. Personally, I think biofuels are feasible, just not with corn. Biomass gasification (not celluosic ethanol) doesn’t quite reach positive net energy, but it at least gives us liquid fuel from any source of carbon, even trash. As these processing plants scale up, they could bring down the price of ethanol to make E85 a more attractive alternative.

]]> By: dwford http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-226342 dwford Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:55:28 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-226342 I think we need to decide what we want: A: freedom from foreign oil B: a clean environment C: both? D: pol pleasing subsidies that solve nothing seems we want D so far I think we need to decide what we want:

A: freedom from foreign oil
B: a clean environment
C: both?
D: pol pleasing subsidies that solve nothing

seems we want D so far

]]> By: Bancho http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-226222 Bancho Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:33:33 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-226222 Biofuels will be practical at some point in the not so distant future but for now I'd be happier with a good variety of vehicles that could simply go farther on less fuel. You'll have to forgive me if I'm not all excited about making huge vehicles go a little further with hybrid systems. I don't need a huge vehicle and paying $50,000 for the privilege isn't something I'm inclined to do (if I ever intend to put my sons through college). Biofuels will be practical at some point in the not so distant future but for now I’d be happier with a good variety of vehicles that could simply go farther on less fuel. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not all excited about making huge vehicles go a little further with hybrid systems. I don’t need a huge vehicle and paying $50,000 for the privilege isn’t something I’m inclined to do (if I ever intend to put my sons through college).

]]> By: Kevin http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-226212 Kevin Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:32:32 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-226212 Ha, 2 years ago all the message board geeks were berating their fellow Americans as idiots for not adopting ethanol fast enough and for letting a 3rd world country like Brazil get ahead of us. Now all the message board geeks are berating Americans for using ethanol at all. Well I'm a contrarian so I'll just say that it still looks like if they can commercialize the cellulosic ethanol instead of the corn ethanol (and possibly even just use sugar ethanol imported from the Caribbean) it could be pretty good stuff If so, then we'll want to have built up as much infrastructure for it as possible. If not this is all a waste of money. Place your bets. But obviously it's a political boondoggle. Ha, 2 years ago all the message board geeks were berating their fellow Americans as idiots for not adopting ethanol fast enough and for letting a 3rd world country like Brazil get ahead of us.

Now all the message board geeks are berating Americans for using ethanol at all.

Well I’m a contrarian so I’ll just say that it still looks like if they can commercialize the cellulosic ethanol instead of the corn ethanol (and possibly even just use sugar ethanol imported from the Caribbean) it could be pretty good stuff

If so, then we’ll want to have built up as much infrastructure for it as possible. If not this is all a waste of money. Place your bets.

But obviously it’s a political boondoggle.

]]> By: meocuchad http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-226082 meocuchad Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:09:38 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-226082 E85 = An ideal for the truly ignorant. E85 = An ideal for the truly ignorant.

]]> By: EngineeringTheAtom http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-225982 EngineeringTheAtom Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:00:06 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-225982 Like any act of our government, they initial concept was good. But of course, after the idiots in D.C. got done with the bill it sucked. Good thing sites like this don't blinding follow the masses in chanting for biofuel change. Corn juice aint my thing but if it takes some demand off of gas I'm all for it since that'll (hopefully?) slow down the price of gas for me. Like any act of our government, they initial concept was good. But of course, after the idiots in D.C. got done with the bill it sucked.

Good thing sites like this don’t blinding follow the masses in chanting for biofuel change.

Corn juice aint my thing but if it takes some demand off of gas I’m all for it since that’ll (hopefully?) slow down the price of gas for me.

]]> By: narfinity http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-225952 narfinity Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:53:34 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-225952 Let's not forget, <b>dwford</b>, that the Energy Policy Act that mandated all that ethanol production was Republican-driven, had more Republican support than Democratic, and was signed into law by Bush. You can also thank Bush for signing the recent CAFE increase into law. As a Democrat, I think that biofuels, as they are being implemented in the US now, are an economic and environmental disaster. Corn will never be a good source of energy. Let’s not forget, dwford, that the Energy Policy Act that mandated all that ethanol production was Republican-driven, had more Republican support than Democratic, and was signed into law by Bush.

You can also thank Bush for signing the recent CAFE increase into law.

As a Democrat, I think that biofuels, as they are being implemented in the US now, are an economic and environmental disaster. Corn will never be a good source of energy.

]]> By: AKM http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-225912 AKM Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:43:17 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-225912 Politicians in general don't, for that matter. But that's nothing new under the sun, and is true on both sides of the aisle. I'm certainly glad that consumers are not falling for the great ethanol scam, that this website among others, exposes for what it is. Politicians in general don’t, for that matter. But that’s nothing new under the sun, and is true on both sides of the aisle.

I’m certainly glad that consumers are not falling for the great ethanol scam, that this website among others, exposes for what it is.

]]> By: dwford http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-225772 dwford Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:25:54 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/25-of-new-us-e85-production-now-on-hold/#comment-225772 Did Congress at least mandate E10 or E25 be sold and that cars be made to take it? Or did they just assume all the ethanol would magically be sold - kinda like they assume Americans will magically accept 35mpg cars that are smaller and slower that whats made today just because that what's sitting on the lot. Good luck. The Democrats have no clue how America works Did Congress at least mandate E10 or E25 be sold and that cars be made to take it? Or did they just assume all the ethanol would magically be sold – kinda like they assume Americans will magically accept 35mpg cars that are smaller and slower that whats made today just because that what’s sitting on the lot. Good luck.

The Democrats have no clue how America works

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