e85 Ethanol Alternative Fuel

Earning E85 Ethanol Rewards

In Wisconsin, drivers of E85 ethanol flex-fuel vehicles waited in line for free Cenex gift cards. Anyone who purchased eight and a half gallons or more of e85 between 10am and noon received free twenty dollar gift cards from the the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association.

The promotion was very successful, vehicles of all sizes showed up. They reportedly sold about 500 gallons of E85 during that time and 42 free Cenex gift cards were given out.

Throughout the year of 2007, the ethanol industry were able to produce six and a half billion gallons of ethanol. The produced ethanol is capable of replacing approximately 228 million barrels of foreign oil.

If all vehicles used e85, this alone can reduce ozone-forming pollution by twenty percent. A typical e85 ethanol vehicle operator can save as much as four tons of CO2 every year if they used e85 ethanol instead of regular gas.

Perhaps other markets in the United States should try to push E85 like they do in Wisconsin. With ethanol in the north-east virtually non-existent, this may drive consumer interest up in markets such as this.

21 ways to save at the gas pump

With the national price for gasoline over four dollars a gallon, many people will have big problems filling their car's gas tank. Americans are now spending about four percent of their take home pay on fuel. Gasoline now rivals the costs that consumers pay for housing and food.

Below is a list of different ways consumers can save at the gas station.

Use e85 ethanol - If your car is a flex-fuel compatible car, use e85. E85 is a blend of gasoline that consists of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. If you do not have a flex-fuel vehicle, consider using an e85 ethanol conversion kit. Using ethanol supports America and its farmers. Check your car's operation manual to see if your car is a flex-fuel vehicle.
Use natural curves to slow down - Using the ground to slow your speed seems more like a way to save your brakes. But if you don't use your brakes to slow down, this means you will have to take your foot off the gas pedal sooner when approaching a stop.
Use cruise control - Using cruise control will keep your car going at a constant speed. When you don't use cruise control, your speed will vary by a few miles an hour as your vehicle travels up and down hills. If you accelerate too much, you waste gas. If you slow down then accelerate again you use more gas. Staying at a constant speed will save on your miles per gallon.
Follow the speed limits - If you follow posted speed limits, you can improve your fuel economy by 7-23%. Different vehicles vary but gas mileage usually decreases when traveling above 60 miles an hour. Every 5 mph that you drive over 60 miles an hour is basically paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gasoline.
Use cash when filling at the pump - Recently, many gas stations have been doing a little bit of underhanded advertising. They advertise a cheaper price on their large billboard, however, when you get to the pump you may see another, more expensive price, ten or so cents. That more expensive price is for people who pay with their credit cards, the cheaper price is for cash payments.
Keep tires properly inflated - Under-inflated tires can reduce your miles per gallon by 0.4 percent for every psi drop in tire pressure of all the tires. When the tires are properly inflated they are safer and they can last longer. Properly inflated tires add up to 3% to your fuel economy.
Remove excess weight - If your car has books, golf clubs, tools, clothes etc, take them out of your car. Extra weight means it takes more fuel to get up to speed.
Keep windows closed - Having the car's windows open all the time while driving creates drag. Drag reduces your car's miles per gallon.
Get regular oil changes - Having your oil changed every 3000 miles or every three months will help keep your engine well lubricated. A well lubricated engine runs smoother and more efficiently.
Change your oil and air filters - Aside from improving your gas mileage by up to 10%, changing your filters regularly will help save your engine. Air filters remove and keep out impurities from your engine.
Have your car tuned up - Keeping your vehicle properly tuned can increase your fuel economy by up to 4%.
Wax your car - A bit of a stretch since the savings are negligible but keeping your car clean will reduce drag. The smoother the surface, the more aerodynamic.
Remove roof rack - A roof rack, when loaded, can decrease a vehicle's fuel economy by 5 percent. If the roof rack is not being used, it still can produce drag.
Do not let your car idle - When you idle your car, you are simply wasting gas. Your car only needs about 30 seconds after it starts for it to be ready to drive.
Use the correct octane gasoline - Check your car's owners manual. If you are paying for premium gasolines, you may be paying five to thirty cents more a gallon then you need to be. Most cars on the road today needs the lowest octane gasoline. Using anything above that may be a waste since you will not get better gas mileage.
Use the recommended grade of motor oil - Using your car's recommended grade of motor oil will increase your fuel economy by up to 2%.
Use fuel injector cleaner - Regular fuel injector treatments allows your car to clean its fuel injectors. Clogged fuel injectors means the gas does not burn as efficiently as it should so your car will require more to counter act the inefficiency.
Use public transportation - If you pay taxes, you are paying for it anyway. Using buses and trains is much more friendly to the environment. However, it will reduce your gasoline budget but it may raise other costs.
Walk, run, bike etc. - Short trips in the car may be unnecessary. If you're driving around the block, try walking. It will save you gas and it will improve your health.
Carpool - If you can find one other person to drive to your school or place of work, you improve your fuel economy by 50%. If you find three other people, you fuel economy improves 66%. And so on.
Do one stop shopping - Don't drive from store to store. The constant stopping and starting will waste gas.

Estimates for tune ups, fuel savings from vehicle maintenance, full roof racks, keeping tires properly inflated, using the recommended grade of motor oil, and speed limits are based on studies and literature reviews performed by Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., Washington, DC.

Air filter savings based on Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 1981. Automobile Fuel Consumption in Actual Traffic Conditions. Paris, France. Tests were performed before the introduction of computer-controlled, fuel-injection engines. The Department of Energy is currently researching the fuel economy effects of clogged air filters on modern engines.

Ethanol Content may double in gasoline

The ethanol supporters are looking to raise the content of ethanol in every day gasoline from 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent gasoline. This will double the nation's use of ethanol to further reduce America's oil consumption. E85 (85 percent ethanol 15 percent gasoline) is still seemingly hard to find in many states, e10 has been utilized greatly across the country.

The only threat that can get this shot down is can today's cars use twice the ethanol that is currently available in e10? Some say, older vehicle engine's may not be able to run on e20 because it will damage their engines.

The University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University have conducted studies to help ethanol out. They found that e20 will not damage engine parts. The e20 blend is not enough ethanol for engine parts to break down.

Even though there may be skepticism regarding ethanol as the fuel of the future, numerous states in America have laws requiring a certain percent of ethanol must be used in fuel. In Minnesota, they are looking to change the requirement to 20 percent ethanol in the next few years.

Unfortunately for ethanol, there is still doubt for twenty percent ethanol fuel blends. The main issue facing e20 is will it be able to be consumed by America's vehicles? The doubters say twenty percent ethanol will corrode normal engine parts unless flex-fuel kits are utilized.

In a USA Today article, USA Today blew the whistle on the move to e20 in Australia. Reportedly, e20 testing in Australia lead to the damage of 40 percent of all the car's catalytic converters.

In order for e20 to be distributed country wide, the EPA must test the emissions and the effects on engine parts before it will become legal. If e20 is used before the EPA runs their tests, e20 may void the car's warranty.

e85 grants

Unlike many states in the northeast, Indiana, a state in America's corn belt, is taking the right steps to help their retailers upgrade their fuel tanks to allow dispensing of e85 fuel. Indiana is beginning to offer their retailers grants to help convert their fuel tanks to hold e85 ethanol fuel. Retailers can expect grants up to $5,000.

As many retailers know, upgrading their fuel tanks to distribute e85 ethanol fuel can be a very expensive endeavor. The Indiana Corn Marketing Council hopes to offer as much help as possible to any retailer that will help promote and distribute e85.

According to representatives of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, their grant plus the corn checkoff grant program can pay big dividends to local retailers should the state of Indiana raise the corn checkoff to $20,000 which is currently proposed.

Currently in the state of Indiana, there is just below 100 e85 stations.

With the help of this grant, this should help may new retailers in Indiana convert to e85 tanks. The Indiana Corn Marketing Council is trying to make e85 fuel mainstream to everyone who have already done the correct thing and gone out and bought a flex-fuel automobile, a car that uses E85 or regular gasoline.

Hopefully other states in the United States will consider such grants them selfs. With little e85 penetration in the nation's east coast grants such as these will allow e85 to gain a good foot hold for the United States to rely less on foreign oil.

e85 Ferrari

e85 Ferrari unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit

Monday, Ferrari revealed a e85 concept car that can run on ethanol. A Ferrari spokesperson said that it showcased the e85 ethanol car because of their engineering experience in Formula One and the bubbling demand for alternative fuel or flex-fuel vehicles in America.

The handsome Ferrari F430 Spider Bio-fuel utilizes E85, a blend of fuel that is comprised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

While at the North American International Auto Show, Amadeo Felisa, Ferrari's chief executive, described Ferrari's commitment to drastically reduce their car's emissions by forty percent by 2012.

According to the executive, Ferrari had prior experience with e85 in Formula one racing. When racing, Formula One has regulations that say all the cars used in races must use fuel that is comprised of 5.75 percent biomass.

On the other hand, The FIA GT and the American Le Mans racing series have somewhat stricter policies. Those races require drivers to use race car's that operate with e10 or ten percent ethanol.

In order for Ferrari to create the F430 Spider Bio-fuel, Ferrari engineers had to do some minor tweaks to the car's engine. The engineers had to make changes to the fuel injection system and they had to change settings in the Ferrari's engine computer. This resulted in lower carbon dioxide emissions - a five percent cut - and as an added bonus, it also increased the car's power output with no changes to the car's weight.

This looks to be quite the Ferrari for anyone who is looking for a very sporty e85 car.

e85 Ethanol from Switchgrass

It seems that Switchgrass might be a much better idea then corn for the production of e85 ethanol. Right now, the technology is in its infancy since researchers are still hammering out the details.

In bio-refineries, switchgrass can be reduced into simple sugars including glucose and xylose. These sugars can then be fermented into ethanol in a similar fashion to corn. The primary sources for ethanol production in the United States are grain from corn and other annual cereal grains, such as sorghum. While switchgrass ethanol is chemically identical to ethanol made from corn, soybeans or sorghum, cellulose ethanol shows a net energy content three times greater than grain ethanol and emits a low net level of greenhouse gases.

switchgrass for e85 ethanol production

With growing concerns of national food prices, switchgrass may help curb the worrying. Switchgrass has an incredible benefit to be used in ethanol production since it is not used by the population for food. According to data received on farm studies, researches from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Switchgrass that was produced for biofuel production made 540 percent greater energy than it needed to grow, then harvest and finally produce ethanol.

Perhaps farmers can now begin to grow corn again strictly for food production instead of ethanol. If farmers decide that, it may be able to get the price of corn per bushel back to reasonable levels seen only a couple of years ago. This will also help many other markets that use similar grains for feeding livestock.

The only thing that holds switchgrass back is research in cellulosic ethanol. If Ethanol made from cellulose, it will emit 80 percent less global warming pollutions than gasoline. Currently cellulosic ethanol is still in research phase and it may take a few years before a major change is made in the Ethanol Industry.

Ethanol - the best alternative fuel according to GM

In November of 2007, General Motors updated a report on a benefit to cost analysis for E85 ethanol, saying the report did not take into account many positive factors.

GM said it issued the change in response to a report made earlier in USA Today that proclaims ethanol E85 fuel loses its cost-benefit to diesel.

According to Mustafa Mohatarem, GM's Chief Economist, explained in a statement, "We believe ethanol as a renewable fuel is the best near-term alternative to oil as a transportation fuel and replacing gasoline with ethanol positively contributes to lowering greenhouse gas emissions."

As of now, less than 1% of gas stations in the United States of America offer E85, and prices can vary greatly. Some fueling stations charge the same price for E85 ethanol as they do for gasoline, so when gas prices go up or down, E85 follows as well. In other parts of the country, predominantly in regions such as the corn belt where ethanol fuels are more easily attainable, the cost for E85 is usually about a dollar cheaper then regular gas.

According to GM, they are currently producing around 400,000 E85 flex-fuel model cars per year and that number will double that to 800,000 by 2010. GM hopes to produce more than 2 million FlexFuel automobiles by the year 2012.

GM also went on to say that aside from building the fleet of cars, they are also committed to help build everything necessary for ethanol to catch on.

NASCAR moves to alternative fuels

Is is fitting that at the start of every NASCAR race they wave a green flag? As I have previously posted, NASCAR is finally beginning to make their move to alternative, green fuels. Like other racing leagues, companies and organizations, NASCAR is beginning to make their move to become more environmentally friendly.

Currently, NASCAR is only in discussions with their partners. They recently have held conferences on their environment issues with its partners Sunoco Inc and General Motors.

NASCAR does not impact the environment too much with their races but they do impact it symbolically. If people see that NASCAR is willing to make the move to alternative fuels, perhaps NASCAR will be able to persuade them to move on other fuels.

NASCAR administration says that they have they are receiving many car makers willing to help them out. They have Toyota, GM, Ford and Chrysler all offering their support. NASCAR simply needs to take the time out to research and develop their sport to use alternative fuels.

To NASCAR's credit, they have already answered calls for better safety by introducing new automobiles dubbed the "Cars of Tomorrow" into many of the races this year. Over the course of the 2008 race season, they will use the cars that have been designed to be safer and much more cost effective.

e85 Ethanol saves turkeys

Very indirectly, at least, and only for a couple of lucky turkeys.

Today, President Bush granted two turkeys full presidential pardons to "May" and "Flower" at the yearly Thanksgiving pardon.

The reason why this makes ethanol news is because these two turkeys were brought to the ceremony in a Flex-fueled Ford F-150. Ford explained that the F-150 used to transport the two turkeys was fueled with E85.

Ford is supporting the use and production of alternative renewable fuels such as ethanol. Ford also promises to make millions of vehicles that run on E85 as a way of reducing U.S. dependency on importing oil from overseas. When Congress returns from its Thanksgiving holiday in December, it is expected to review an energy bill that increases the required fuel efficiency of vehicles by as much as 40 percent, or 35 miles per gallon.

This bill is most likely a long shot but perhaps we should begin to say good bye to our Hummers.

John Edwards promoting e85

John Edwards is going to great lengths to outshine other Democratic candidates with an very strong environmental platform. On the 2008 campaign trail, this blue-collar defender has declared himself as a bleeding-heart greenie.

Edwards is the first candidate to call for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the first to make his campaign carbon neutral, Edwards has had a pied-piper effect on the other Democrat contenders, prompting them to make similar pledges. He has also set himself apart with his call for a freeze on all development of coal power plants until they can be outfitted with carbon sequestration technology. But the former senator from North Carolina runs with the pack in his enthusiasm for corn ethanol, and his green mantle is a fairly new accessory.

ecoFLEX in GM Europe

General Motor's European company announced on Friday that they will be pushing to have its main production line more environmentally friendly. GM says it would place cleaner engines in traditional cars and provide many more cars that can utilize e85 ethanol.

GM named the plan ecoFLEX and said it would provide an ecoFLEX variation with lower emissions in each production of cars, starting with the 2008 Opel Corsa 1. 3 CDTI from its European brand.

The automobile will breathe 119 grams per kilogram of carbon dioxide, which is under the proposed EU median measure of 130 grams per kilogram. An important goal for GM to work towards will be to develop vehicles with the same operation standards and that cost the same as other traditional vehicles.

Saab, a Swedish brand that is also owned by GM, would too enlarge its scope of biofuel engines. GM's luxury brand Cadillac will also provide an example of an E85 engine by the end of 2007.

GM said they would pay more attention on environmental concerns with many technologies instead of just using only one. GM said they were moving forward in creating automobiles that operate on hydrogen fuel cells, while new technology could merely better the operation of current gasoline buring engines.

One instance was Eco-Turbo engines that take smaller cylinder displacements but develop equal ability and efficiency via turbocharging the engine.

GM Europe said it would produce 16 original GM Europe engine families and 10 original transmissions by the year of 2012.

Custom e85 chopper

Orange county choppers revealed a very green chopper, a first of its kind. This chopper runs on e85 ethanol. It was the first one that they have built which only uses e85.

America's First Renewable Energy Chopper

Some of the features from the bike are as follows:

Wind Turbine Spokes
Here's where the Teutuls paid homage to the wind. Iowa ranks third in the nation for wind power, with over 900 wind turbines across the state, with plans for another 300 more. Right now we can harvest enough wind to power 250,000 Iowa homes. Wind energy is the cleanest renewable energy source and reduces more then 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

E85 Gas Cap
This bad boy runs on e85. E85 or 85% ethanol ethanol blended gas burns cleaner, which reduces green house gases, can be grown right here in Iowa and helps increase our energy independence.

Soybean and Corn Paint Detail
Even though the bike runs on e85 and not biodiesel, the Teutuls still wanted to call out Iowa's biodiesel industry. The fuel is clean-burning, biodegradable fuel typically produced from soybeans or animal fat. It is also great for the environment since it reduces sulfur and carbon dioxide emissions.

Corn Head "Scoop"
Orange County Choppers designed the corn-head to represent the part of the machine used to harvest our main crops; the combine. Iowa farmers lead the nation in corn and soybean production and their hard work and dedication make our nation's renewable energy movement a reality.

E-85 Logo
You might see this very same logo at gas stations all around Iowa. If you have a flex-fuel vehicle, this is the fuel to use because 85% of it was made right here in Iowa. If you don't see this logo at your local gas station, be sure to ask them to start selling e85.

Livestock Seat
For ethanol plants to be successful and efficient, having livestock nearby is very important. Cattle eat what's left over from making ethanol: Distillers Grain and Solubles (DGS). By feeding this coproduct to cattle, ethanol plants save money on transportation costs (they don't have to ship it out of state), and livestock farmers save money on feed costs.

Farm Bureau Logo
Why did we have this bike built? Well, as Iowa's largest general agriculture organization, our members expect us to promote and celebrate their efforts on the farm. And what better way then taking all the great things they grow and use for renewable energy and rolling it all into the look and feel of a custom OCC Chopper!

Ethanol Plant Piping Exhaust
These custom pipes were designed to look like some of the pipes used in Iowa's modern ethanol plants that help Iowa the nation's leader in ethanol production.

Can e85 be mixed with regular gasoline?

Can e85 be mixed with regular gasoline?

This question is asked very often. Since e85 is already a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, it is just fine to mix the two fuels.

Let's say that you fill up with e85 before a trip then continue to your destination. When you are ready to leave, you notice there are no e85 stations around. You have less then half a tank left of e85, and you need to fill up. Filling up your tank with regular gas is just fine for your flex fuel vehicle.

Filling up will regular gas will only dilute the e85 ethanol from the original fill up. With a rough calculation, if you have half a tank of e85 and fill up with regular gas, you will have approximately 40 percent ethanol and 60 percent gasoline in your tank.

If your vehicle is a flex fuel vehicle, it will be able to take any combination of e85 and gasoline.

Converting to ethanol in Australia

Much like in America, ethanol is also booming down under in Australia. According to Tony Kelly, the New South Wales Minister for Regional Development, service stations have been converting vehicles and gas stations as fast as they could.

The only problem is that the employees that complete the ethanol conversions are falling behind due to the very high demand.

The Australian Government has been giving many companies resources to convert their infrastructure from petroleum to ethanol however the resources are set to expire in October of 2007.

The New South Wales Government is asking the Commonwealth to extend the ethanol distribution program for another four years, well past the deadline of October.

Last year, Australia announced plans to provide resources to fuel stations to upgrade their fuel tanks in order for the tanks to carry ethanol along with gasoline.

Originally, the ethanol distribution program was to run for only one year. Tony Kelly says the twelve month time frame is far from enough to upgrade. With public interest and awareness at its peak, now is not the time for pulling the plug on the bio-fuel industry.

Follow this link for more information on converting to ethanol.

Other sources of Ethanol

Universities and businesses in Michigan are preparing for a future that will be powered by plants, and not petroleum. Bruce Dale is adding his voice to the many more that are calling for more ethanol and less petroleum for trucks, cars, and SUVs.

But while the current focus for ethanol vehicles tends to be corn based fuels, Bruce sees a solution with many other plants as well.

Dale is a Michigan State University professor who is conducting research for turning other plant materials into fuel. He was also one of the presenters at the US BioEnergy Corporation corn ethanol plant in Woodbury that was focused on alternative fuel.

According to Dale, the age of oil is ending. Dale is a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University. He wonders what we can do about our dependence on foreign oil.

Fossil-based petroleum fuel products account for 97 percent of the fuel needed for cars and trucks, Dale said.

According to Dale, America literally stops without oil.

Dale sees a resolution for the trouble. Switching from oil based products such as petrol and diesel to ethanol would cut the need for oil, produce less hydrocarbon emissions and might have the United States less reliant on oil-rich areas such as the Middle East.

But maize only won't offer that vitality, Dale said.

Dale has worked for over 30 years to discover more cost effective ways to develop ethanol made from other new substances - commonly known as cellulosic ethanol. Sources for that sort of fuel can include rice husks, wheat straw and saw debris - things that had been considered waste.

A few years ago, it cost as more as $1.40 a gallon to develop cellulosic ethanol. But improvements in engineering could take the cost downward to about 60 cents a gallon in another 15 to 20 years.

According to Dale, ethanol could be sold for between $1.50 to $1.70 a gallon at the pump.

The Minnesota based US BioEnergy plans to increase its capacity from 300 million gallons to 1 billion gallons a year by the year 2009.

US BioEnergy has four ethanol plants and is currently building three more, says Kim Mitchell, the vice president of engineering for US BioEnergy.