E85

[Shotgun!]

I need to start looking into this as an option for the Jeep. That big V8 drinks like a fish.
Why? Worse mileage means more spent at the pumps.

[98gstaherns]

E85 requires a lot more fuel flow, so you need much bigger than normal injectors and a fuel pump(s) to back it.
Would 550's and a 255pump work?

[Shane@DBPerformance]

Maybe if your running stock boost on a stock car.

[Halon]

My mom's, boyfriends, father is a huge E85 fanatic. He's on the news, and in newspapers about it. He runs 100% E85 in his like 96 Dodge Caravan. He's been doing a 50/50 blend for years now, and has recently in the last few months started doing 100%. Only problems he's ever had is on a cold winter day it doesn't always start as well. And he's no car idiot. He used to build up cars in his younger years, and when I popped my hood open, he knew exactly what everything was. I was kinda impressed as he's like 80 sumthin, and he knew what he knew about my motor.

I tend to not follow the norm, and will probably try using this gas in my regular car. And it's not only the fact that it's cheaper, or maybe I get less milage. I guess it's more the thought of less dependancy oil. Call me strange, wierd, or an idiot, but that's my thoughts on it, and from now on will probably be doing a 50/50 blend in my galant.

[Jakey]

How much cheaper is E85 up there? It's $0.40 cheaper per gallon than any other grade down here.

[CDeutsch]

If you want to compare the price of e85 to regular, divide the gas price by 1.33 (according to Car and Driver July 2006).

An example:
Reg $2.99 / 1.33 = 2.25
E85 $2.59

Regular ends up being $.34 cheaper.

The July 2006 Car and Driver had an excellent section on E85. Here's the web version:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/11174/tech-stuff-ethanol-promises.html

The only plus sides to it that I can see is that the E85 industry creates jobs and if you drive a turbo car you can run more boost. :D Other then that I think it's probably one of the biggest waste of resources of all time. I'm really shocked that no one looked at the numbers before making a federal mandate to boost production.

[Onefast99gsx]

Other than saving the environment, E85 doesn't really do anything for us. I've done all the homework with it. It costs more to run. You have to run like a 9.5 - 9.8 A/F ratio I think it was. There was quite a bit of info on dsmlinks forum. Here in WI were i'm at. I think E85 is maybe a dime less than Reg. 87oct. Pointless. The ethanol plants are just as greedy as the gasoline plants.

So if you're looking to just help save the environment or for better octane, then ok. If you're looking to save $$$, look elsewhere.

[CDeutsch]

So if you're looking to just help save the environment or for better octane, then ok. If you're looking to save $$$, look elsewhere.

Yep, you're definitely not going to save any money. From the reading I've done it doesn't even help the environment. It reduces carbon monoxide and NOx, but increases hydrocarbon and has little to no effect on reducing global warning at best and some studies show it makes it worse.

It does help automakers meet the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards due to loop rules in the law which is likely the major reason GM makes flex fuel vehicles.

[Jakey]

The ethanol plants are just as greedy as the gasoline plants.
How so? The vast majority of ethanol plants are owned by investors and the price of ethanol is based on ethanol being a publically traded commodity, just like oil, corn, soybeans, etc.

From the reading I've done.....
If the reading you have done comes from Cornell's David Pimental and Berkeley's Ted Patzek, I'd take it with a grain of salt.

[Onefast99gsx]

I guess I'm speaking for one ethanol plant here. I live really close to Stanley, WI. ACE Ethanol is a huge plant there. A shell station in Stanley sell their E85. When I checked on this, earlier this year If I remember, it was only .09 cents less than 87oct. So if it takes more of it to equal the same BTU as gasoline, then it's more in the long run. I say they are greedy because they are keeping the price within an ass hair of regular gas. True, the 15% gas is costing them more but the 85% base shouldn't be that high.

The whole reason Bush wanted an energy plan was to reduce our dependance on foreign oil because the cost of oil was so high. But if E85 isn't saving the customer any more, does it really matter who we're buying from?