Comments on: GM Subsidizes E85 in LA http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/ The Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:11:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Engineer http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-163812 Engineer Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:51:37 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-163812 <i>When I ran E-85 in my flex fuel Ranger the MPG was typically about 15% lower.</i> That's all? You're either lucky or good... From KixStart's Tahoe report: <i>From San Diego to Las Vegas and back, we used 36.5 gallons of regular gasoline and achieved an average fuel economy of <b>18.3 mpg</b>. We spent <b>$124.66 for gasoline</b> for the trip. The average pump price was $3.42 per gallon. From San Diego to Las Vegas and back we used 50 gallons of E85 and achieved an average fuel economy of <b>13.5 mpg [~26% worse</b>]. We spent <b>$154.29 on E85</b> for the trip. The average pump price was $3.09 [<b>~10% cheaper</b>] per gallon Gas/E85 difference: The fuel economy of our Tahoe on E85, under these conditions, was <b>26.5 percent worse</b> than it was when running on gas.</i> When I ran E-85 in my flex fuel Ranger the MPG was typically about 15% lower.
That’s all? You’re either lucky or good…

From KixStart’s Tahoe report: From San Diego to Las Vegas and back, we used 36.5 gallons of regular gasoline and achieved an average fuel economy of 18.3 mpg. We spent $124.66 for gasoline for the trip. The average pump price was $3.42 per gallon.

From San Diego to Las Vegas and back we used 50 gallons of E85 and achieved an average fuel economy of 13.5 mpg [~26% worse]. We spent $154.29 on E85 for the trip. The average pump price was $3.09 [~10% cheaper] per gallon

Gas/E85 difference: The fuel economy of our Tahoe on E85, under these conditions, was 26.5 percent worse than it was when running on gas.

]]> By: Engineer http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-163792 Engineer Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:42:12 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-163792 <i>Since it’s supposed to be so much better for the environment, how come Cali ain’t giving no lower tax love to E85???</i> Unlike, say the federal government, the CA legislature gets scientific input on these issues, from knowledgeable sources, like university professors, etc. Hence CA is not as easily lead astray by wildly optimistic claims form ethusiatic, but uninformed, supporters. For example, Schwarzenegger's "Hydrogen Highway" recently got cut back in scale, when it was determined that the most affordable (still expensive) hydrogen was actually dirtier than plain old gasoline. Who would have thought? Perhaps this new idea of using science when making long term decisions will spread to Washington DC. Don't hold your breath, though. There are powerful lobbyists, on both sides of the isle, ready to fight this "invasion" tooth and nail... Since it’s supposed to be so much better for the environment, how come Cali ain’t giving no lower tax love to E85???
Unlike, say the federal government, the CA legislature gets scientific input on these issues, from knowledgeable sources, like university professors, etc. Hence CA is not as easily lead astray by wildly optimistic claims form ethusiatic, but uninformed, supporters.

For example, Schwarzenegger’s “Hydrogen Highway” recently got cut back in scale, when it was determined that the most affordable (still expensive) hydrogen was actually dirtier than plain old gasoline. Who would have thought?

Perhaps this new idea of using science when making long term decisions will spread to Washington DC. Don’t hold your breath, though. There are powerful lobbyists, on both sides of the isle, ready to fight this “invasion” tooth and nail…

]]> By: Martin Albright http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-163572 Martin Albright Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:41:21 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-163572 I don't know about LA but here in CO E-85 is commonly anywhere from 60 cents to $1.00 less per gallon than even the cheapest unleaded, which is generally enough to make up the difference in MPG (though at the low end it may be close to breaking even.) When I ran E-85 in my flex fuel Ranger the MPG was typically about 15% lower. I don’t know about LA but here in CO E-85 is commonly anywhere from 60 cents to $1.00 less per gallon than even the cheapest unleaded, which is generally enough to make up the difference in MPG (though at the low end it may be close to breaking even.) When I ran E-85 in my flex fuel Ranger the MPG was typically about 15% lower.

]]> By: Edward Niedermeyer http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-163232 Edward Niedermeyer Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:36:36 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-163232 <em>Since it’s supposed to be so much better for the environment, how come Cali ain’t giving no lower tax love to E85???</em> Simple- because it's not so much better for the environment. In fact, it takes more energy to refine ethanol than you get out of it... and that's not even including the carbon embedded in fertilizers, farm equipment, etc. Since it’s supposed to be so much better for the environment, how come Cali ain’t giving no lower tax love to E85???

Simple- because it’s not so much better for the environment. In fact, it takes more energy to refine ethanol than you get out of it… and that’s not even including the carbon embedded in fertilizers, farm equipment, etc.

]]> By: cretinx http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-162672 cretinx Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:28:43 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-162672 Frank - power on E85 actually INCREASES because its higher octane (basically, its race fuel) - you can run more timing AND run more boost if you have a turbo. Frank – power on E85 actually INCREASES because its higher octane (basically, its race fuel) – you can run more timing AND run more boost if you have a turbo.

]]> By: KixStart http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-162362 KixStart Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:27:20 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-162362 Twenty percent mileage drop? The reports I've seen suggest nearer a thirty percent decrease. I don't have the link but I'm pretty sure Edmunds did a road test of E-85. [update] Found one: <a href="http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/120863/article.html">Edmunds on E-85</a> Twenty percent mileage drop? The reports I’ve seen suggest nearer a thirty percent decrease.

I don’t have the link but I’m pretty sure Edmunds did a road test of E-85.

[update]

Found one:
Edmunds on E-85

]]> By: tdoyle http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-162292 tdoyle Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:15:31 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-162292 Their mileage decreases 20%, in line with their value of their homes... Ouch! Their mileage decreases 20%, in line with their value of their homes… Ouch!

]]> By: Buick61 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-162112 Buick61 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:58:50 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-162112 Lower power? How do you figure? Cars running on E85 tend to get a little more power. Even the Michigan State Police proved that point by comparing an E85 Tahoe to a regular gas-only model--the Tahoe running on E85 was routinely quicker. Unless you're talking about the energy content of alcohol vs. gasoline, but either way--as it's written--the sentence is misleading. Lower power? How do you figure? Cars running on E85 tend to get a little more power. Even the Michigan State Police proved that point by comparing an E85 Tahoe to a regular gas-only model–the Tahoe running on E85 was routinely quicker.

Unless you’re talking about the energy content of alcohol vs. gasoline, but either way–as it’s written–the sentence is misleading.

]]> By: mykeliam http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-161982 mykeliam Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:26:50 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-161982 Since it's supposed to be so much better for the environment, how come Cali ain't giving no lower tax love to E85??? Since it’s supposed to be so much better for the environment, how come Cali ain’t giving no lower tax love to E85???

]]> By: SherbornSean http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/comment-page-1/#comment-161712 SherbornSean Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:29:32 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/gm-subsidizes-e85-in-la/#comment-161712 The problem with sampling E85 is that consumers soon figure out that their mileage decreases 20%. That's OK at 85 cents, but at $3, not so much. The problem with sampling E85 is that consumers soon figure out that their mileage decreases 20%. That’s OK at 85 cents, but at $3, not so much.

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