ALT-2 What is e 85 and where can you Buy it
E85 is a fuel made from corn and is called ethanol. That's where the 'E' in the name comes from. It has an Octane rating of 105, which is higher than gasoline. Ethanol is mixed with gasoline up to 85% ethanol by volume. Most gas stations use 10% ethanol as of 2012.
Future sources of ethanol may come from other crops such as rice, wheat and/or potatoes. The mad scientist (played by Christopher Lloyd) from "Back to the future" may have been on the right track after all. (He used all manner of produce garbage to fuel his car in the sequel where he came back from the future.)
Currently, E85 can only be used in flex-fuel vehicles which can accept the higher concentrations of ethanol. There are modifications to older vehicles that can made this fuel useable. These include elimination of exposed magnesium, aluminum and rubber parts. E85 can be corrosive to some metal and rubber parts.
Moreover, cars made after 1989 can accept E10 fuel due to the lower concentration of ethanol. And by 2013, some states will begin to force people to use E10 or up to 20% ethanol. There is controversy, however, over the effectiveness or financial viability of ethanol production.
When gas here was $2.42, E85 was $1.74 and it has been seen as low as .85 cents per gallon. The real savings with E85 is when the price of it is 72% less than gasoline.
There seems to be fewer miles per gallon than gasoline, but not enough to really be noticed. This may vary between different vehicles and our estimates are based on observance rather than actual testing or documentation.
Other benefits of using E85 include a reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 13% over gas.
From our experience, this fuel doesn't seem to work as well in winter but it Does work well in more moderate temperatures. We use it in a 2000 Ford Ranger. Other, more modern (after 2005), flex-fuel vehicles will probably work better.
We've seen regular gas stations in Missouri and Kansas (USA) that carry this fuel and gas stations owned by oil companies such as MFA Oil. Most of these places, however, have been located in rural areas rather than in the main cities. So, where to buyE85may increase with time or popularity. It will be interesting to see what changes may be applied to vehicles and the cost of their maintenance. (The link above shows locations throughout the USA.)
This isn't a new fuel. Sweden has been using this fuel already. And Henry Ford's Model A was an early version of a flex-fuel car which used a single barrel Zenith carburetor.
European countries have shown a remarkable trend towards innovative choices for a variety of things. The rejection of GMO seeds is one of those positive choices. It may be wise to watch what they've been doing and what they will do with E85.
If production costs and logistics can be ironed out, E85 might be the future of fuel for automobiles.
