35 MPG -- No Ethanol Mix?
06-03-2007, 10:19 PM
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35 MPG -- No Ethanol Mix?
There was a similar post recently but it went astray so I'm posting a new thread.
Got my best highway mileage ever the other weekend when we drove the 5 hrs from NJ to DC to my in-laws. Wife, kid and I plus a weekends worth of stuff, no traffic, and around 70 the whole way. No cruise control but kept it steady. 35 MPG for the whole trip. I had gotten 33 mpg on the highway before but I did not think 35 was possible. Now I realize traveling lighter and keeping it in the 60s could net 37 or better.
Our usual fill-up station uses a 5% ethanol mix, and this time we filled up elsewhere. So I went reading online and true enough the ethanol mix does indeed affect mileage:
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethanol
Seriously, is every government initiative just a ploy to get more of our money?
Got my best highway mileage ever the other weekend when we drove the 5 hrs from NJ to DC to my in-laws. Wife, kid and I plus a weekends worth of stuff, no traffic, and around 70 the whole way. No cruise control but kept it steady. 35 MPG for the whole trip. I had gotten 33 mpg on the highway before but I did not think 35 was possible. Now I realize traveling lighter and keeping it in the 60s could net 37 or better.
Our usual fill-up station uses a 5% ethanol mix, and this time we filled up elsewhere. So I went reading online and true enough the ethanol mix does indeed affect mileage:
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethanol
Seriously, is every government initiative just a ploy to get more of our money?
06-03-2007, 10:22 PM
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Car and Driver has run a few articles/columns on the government push to use more ethanol. Despite having a much lower energetic value than gasoline, the government seems intent on pushing this agenda because it gets votes.
My
: Ethanol is more expensive, produces less power, and causes the cost of other corn-derived products (flour, tortillas) to increase... it makes absolutely no sense!
My
: Ethanol is more expensive, produces less power, and causes the cost of other corn-derived products (flour, tortillas) to increase... it makes absolutely no sense!
06-03-2007, 10:50 PM
#3
In Canada, stations like Husky and Mohawk sell E10 with a octane rating of 90, but at the price of regular at other stations. i just get that stuff. you can say its ~6% less energy content at 10% cheaper price versus other station's 91 octane price.
06-03-2007, 11:01 PM
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Interesting... we don't have Husky or Mohawk, but there's MacEwen's in Eastern Ontario that will sell E10 (actually, they claim less than 10%).
The idea is that Ethanol has higher octane, so including up to 10% of it with regular gas will boost your octane by 3-4 points. That enables them to sell a fuel with an octane rating of 90+ at just over the price of regular.... However, you lose that power (6% as you said), but can ensure no knocking, because of the higher octane.
I'm sticking to Shell V-Power. 91 octane, full power, and Top-Tier designation... nothing less for my baby!
The idea is that Ethanol has higher octane, so including up to 10% of it with regular gas will boost your octane by 3-4 points. That enables them to sell a fuel with an octane rating of 90+ at just over the price of regular.... However, you lose that power (6% as you said), but can ensure no knocking, because of the higher octane.
I'm sticking to Shell V-Power. 91 octane, full power, and Top-Tier designation... nothing less for my baby!
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