E85 DOA? E10 DOA?

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago
e85 doa e10 doa

Anyone remember the good old days, when TTAC manned the barricades in the fight against federal subsidies to a corn-based ethanol industry that made little sense for anyone but the corn-based ethanol industry? Rest assured, we haven’t de-listed our “E85 BOTD” (Boondoggle of the Day) category. We’ve just been a little… preoccupied with that other call on the public purse emanating from the city whose motto is, ironically enough, Speramus Meliora. And while we’ve been away, the price of imported oil– and thus gas– has dropped precipitously. Even copious federal subsidies (.50 a gallon “blender’s credit” to start) hasn’t been able to shelter the E85 folk from that particular reality. In fact, E85 sales are pretty much shot. Kaput. It’s got so bad (good?) that E10 (10 percent corn juice) is now falling by the wayside.

Ethanolproducer.com (EP) is the bearer of bad tidings (for some):

“The falling price of gasoline is making it possible for many Missourian fuel retailers to bypass the state’s renewable fuels standard and supply customers with standard gasoline instead of E10. Missouri’s standard, which was enacted Jan. 1, 2008, requires E10 to be sold when the price of the fuel is the same or lower than the price of unblended gasoline…

‘For the consumer, it ensures that they are always purchasing the lowest priced fuel possible,’ [Missouri Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association’s executive director Ronald] Leone said. It also ensures small business owners and retailers are able to remain competitive with Missouri’s boarder states, which don’t have any ethanol standards or mandates.”

EP’s article chronicles the “threat” to E10 mandates caused by “price provisions” in Louisiana and Oregon. Of course, “once the price of ethanol drops below the price of gasoline, the standard will once again take effect.” For them. As for the rest of us, hey, at least we’re not required to buy E85.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 10 comments
  • Npbheights Npbheights on Dec 10, 2008

    try that E10 garbage in your boat. The alcohol picks up water which is a terrible in a ventilated fuel tank (cars are unventilated) not to mention the whole system was just not designed for E10 and it just tears up the fuel systems, and here in FL you can not find pure gasoline anywhere. It's a real problem.

  • PabloKoh PabloKoh on Dec 10, 2008

    It is hard to believe that with the knowledge available out there we would rather give our money to Dubai to build islands in the shape of palm trees than to give it to a farmer to buy a new John Deere. Makes my stomach turn.

  • Art Vandelay Interesting, the Polestar 2 I had as a rental utilized Android Automotive which is what GM said it is going to exclusively, yet it still offers Apple CarPlay according to this. Wonder if GM will do the same.
  • Stuart de Baker EVs just aren't ready for prime time for those with a single car and who take road trips. Being able to charge as soon as you arrive at a charging station, and even the chargers working on your car is a crapshoot. In the former case, you could have to wait for nearly an hour while someone else is charging.I also don't find EVs particularly fun to drive (I've driven a Tesla Model S and an Ionic 5.) I LOVE driving my '08 Civic (stick). I love the handling, the feel and responsiveness of the engine, the precise steering (the Michelin Pilot Ultra Sport tires help, but even with the snows on, the car is a joy). I have 152k on the clock, and hopefully another 25 years or so of driving (I was born early in the Eisenhower Administration and I have exceptionally healthy habits), and I'm going to try to keep the Civic for the duration.My Civic causes a less global warming emissions than some of these humongous battery operated trucks.
  • FreedMike They should throw in a Lordstown pickup with every purchase. Make it the “vapor twofer.”
  • Random1 Pretty excited about this update, I didn't see it available in mine this morning, but any day now... I think only Apple maps will be on the center display, and not Waze yet, but I assume that'll come soon enough. As to the unnecessary Tesla comment above : I'll take the build quality, the looks, and generally normal items that all cars should have over the M3 any day of the week.
  • Jonathan H. The ES production is going back to Japan so it's safe to assume its assembly building will be utilized for the new EV. Seems like a good fit for what will probably be fairly low volume compared to the Camry/Rav4 assembly lines.
Next