Alternative Fuels and Ethanol
There is so much talk about alternative fuels these days that it is often hard to make sense of it all. One of the latest fads (I call this a fad because I do not believe that it is the answer to the current problems) is the use of ethanol fuel or simply E-85. In an effort to loosen the nation's noose on oil consumption, E-85 was introduced as the new alternative fuel of the future. New automobile models were designed to use E-85, and presently many manufacturers are pumping out Flex Fuel Vehicles that allow the use of standard gasoline or ethanol. Vehicles that run on ethanol have been around since the late 1990s and have recently been pushed into the eyes of consumers as the answer to oil consumption. However, there is more to learn than what most people consider common knowledge. There are pros and cons to everything in the world today and as consumers we are left to make decisions based on what we learn about a product.
Engineering is at the forefront of one of the biggest dilemmas in recent times. Increased environmental awareness has brought upon a number of topics that today's engineers have been sought to address. The major topics of today are surrounded by questions about alternative fuels, increased fuel efficiency, and ways to decrease emissions. Engineers, as wells as government agencies and programs, are ready to take these issues head on and come up with solutions that will make people on all sides satisfied. In order to do just that, different types of fuels and manufacturing processes are currently at work in hopes of coming up with solutions to the numerous tasks. The government is also funding projects to find alternative fuels so that the dependency of the United States on foreign oils can be loosened.
The most recent attempt to loosen the grip on fossil fuels has been brought by the introduction of E-85 ethanol and a new fleet of automobiles that were to use the new fuel. E-85 vehicles have been around since 1998, but only recently been taken up by consumers. The main purpose of using this new fuel was to reduce the dependency of oil consumption, as well as lower greenhouse emissions. E-85 is most commonly made up from 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The ethanol is made from a renewable fuel source, corn kernels. E-70 ethanol is used during the winter season and is made up of 70% ethanol and 30% gasoline. The added energy from gasoline is needed during the cold winter months, and the carbon dioxide emissions are not as harmful during this time of the year.
The question is does the use of E-85 have all the great benefits that we are led to believe as consumers? The answers vary depending on what the goals of each consumer are. E-85 is mostly made from a renewable source that is easily attainable. It costs less to fill up a gas tank, and emits fewer emissions. The production of ethanol is also energy efficient; ethanol provides 38% more energy than is required to produce it. New technologies in manufacturing of ethanol are constantly becoming more efficient, and automakers are also making progress. Fuel Flexible Vehicles are being introduced that enable the consumer to use whatever fuel source they wish, as long as the fuel meets the requirements set by the manufacturer. These requirements however are not that strict. If there is no E-85 fuel source available, the consumer can opt to use gasoline instead.
With such progress over these past years, government is also taking note. While striving to protect the environment and encouraging people to do so, most states are now providing incentives for buyers to use Flexible Fuel Vehicles. For example, Michigan, provides tax breaks, a lower tax on alternative fuels, emission exemptions for alternative fuel vehicles, and even provides grants to companies that want to further the progress of alternative fuels. The only states or properties in the United States that do not provide any alternative fuel incentives are Alaska,Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. With alternative fuel progress making head-way, consumers can benefit from government incentives no matter which alternative fuel they want to use.
With all the benefits and incentives that come along with E-85 use, why are there still doubts in the minds of the consumers? This can be easily answered by a basic concept of fear of change from what we are used to. However, there are more informative reasons available for consumers, as well as engineers, seeking an alternative solution. Even though E-85 has a long line of benefits to be had, there are drawbacks. This can be said for almost any fuel that a consumer wants to use, but with the fear of change, small drawbacks amount to bigger worries. The question on the minds of many is whether E-85 is worth the money investing. The amount of technological improvement is not certain, engineers can not say for sure how much improvement is left in ethanol use. This and other inefficiencies of the fuel have some turning to other alternatives.
Opposition to E-85 use also makes interesting points which hint that ethanol is not the alternative fuel of the future. While E-85 emits fewer emissions and is more environmentally friendly, it does so at a price in performance. Since Flexible Fuel Vehicles are made to run on varies types of fuels, they are not optimized to run on E-85 ethanol. This causes a decrease in fuel economy of 10-15% in comparison to gasoline or E-85 only vehicles. The uncertainty of ethanol's future steers the consumer to buy a Flexible Fuel Vehicle, instead of just relying on E-85 alone. The problem compounds when the fuel economy is compared to a gasoline vehicle. Gasoline users can simply increase their fuel economy by changing their driving habits. By driving less aggressively and making sure that the tires of the car are properly inflated, an increase of 20-26% in fuel economy can be achieved. Driving habits can also increase the fuel economy in FFV and E-85 only vehicles, but the gasoline owner is already ahead by 10-15% because of the increased energy content in gasoline.
With the benefits of Flexible Fuel Vehicles dwindling, a consumer is simply forced to do the math. Because of incentives and manufacturing progress, the cost of buying a FFV or a gasoline powered vehicle become negligible. The next step would be to look at fuel economy as compared to the price of fuel. This would have been a great benefit for ethanol even as recently as last year. With oil prices at record highs, the switch to ethanol seemed like the sensible way to go. Looking at the situation presently gives the consumer another point of view. Currently E-85 is only 12.4% cheaper than gasoline, plus or minus a couple percentage points depending on the state a consumer lives in. Even during the summer months just last year, the national price spread between ethanol and gasoline reached a maximum of 18.4%. Now one has to reduce the spread by the loss in fuel economy, which can be 10-15% depending on the vehicle. With that in mind, the percentage spread between E-85 and gasoline powered vehicles can sometimes work in favor for consumers who use gasoline. Even for those not mathematically inclined, there are ways to figure out the best solution. Great online tools provided by websites like e85prices.com, allow users to calculate the best "bang for their buck" based on the fuel economy of their vehicle and the price of fuel in the area.
With all this in mind it is easy to see why consumers today are skeptical about the use of ethanol. In the end it comes down to personal preference. Users of E-85 benefit the environment by emitting fewer emissions and decreasing the nation's dependency on oil. Gasoline users emit more emissions of carbon dioxide, but the piece of mind that they are not losing money from their pockets can be enough for most to stick with what is familiar. Since ethanol is not making the impact that environmentalists or automobile manufacturers were hoping for, more extreme advances must be made. Engineers are once again challenged with the same problems as before, but this time it just might be a case of "all or nothing." With domestic automobile makers having trouble staying afloat, whatever comes next has to be "the next big thing." Companies such as General Motors are putting their money on electrical powered vehicles.
The Chevrolet Volt was unveiled in September of 2008 as General Motors looked for an automobile to set the bar for future automobile makers. The car will be able to drive for the first 40 miles on one electrical charge, after which a gasoline generator will provide electricity to keep the battery going. After that the car will get 50 mpg until its 6-7 gallon tank runs out. This will give the Chevy Volt a range of 400 miles on 6-7 gallons of fuel as long as the battery is fully charged at startup. What makes the Volt different from other hybrids on the road today is that the car itself will be powered mechanically only by the electric motors. Fuel will only be used to power a generator that will keep the battery charged. Current hybrids also use a combination of electric and fuel power. Electricity is used at low speeds, at high speeds or during hard acceleration, a fuel powered engine is put to use. Another feature of the Chevy Volt will be the ability of the driver to use either gasoline or E-85 ethanol. Letting the consumer decide to use whatever makes them feel most comfortable, while still being environmentally friendly by using an electric powered vehicle that is promising to set the bar high for future competitors.
The demand from consumers for a new alternative to their current vehicles will be finally matched with a car worth owning, or at least looking into. While nobody can say for certain whether the Chevrolet Volt will be a success for General Motors, the advance in Lithium Battery technology alone is worth the wait. In order to meet the demand of the electric motor in the Chevy Volt, engineers had to start from scratch and develop a new battery pack. One that can withstand the constant heat cycles, being recharged hundreds of times by simply being plugged into an outlet, and brought back to life during operation by a gas/E-85 powered generator. The constant attention and promotion from General Motors of the Chevrolet Volt has consumers and engineers waiting restlessly for the final product. Whether it succeeds or fails is a question that will only be answered once the car is put to production. One thing is for certain, engineers are at the forefront of one of the biggest milestones in automotive history. The switch from fuels to electricity will surely be nothing short of electrifying. While anything that comes after will always be pressured to be an improvement and future engineers will always be there to take on the challenge. For now, ethanol is here to stay and it looks like it will be here for quite some time. Though I am not a fan of E-85, I do see the positives but I also believe that it is not the answer to our current problems. Electrically powered cars are closer than most people think and electricity will be the answer to the mediocre success of ethanol.
