Posted on 07/27/2008 3:01:44 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network
Have just spent the afternoon, browsing the manufacturers websites of every major US automaker, looking for a basic flex-fuel pickup truck.
GM. Ford. Chrysler.
Found some flex-fuel trucks (mostly on the GM site), but only top of the line, with large engines.
Will US automakers drop THIS ball also?
So you said - any idea why?
LOL. I think I ended up there, from a link at the Ford site.
Thanks.
About the best solution I could come up with, is there seems to be an after-market conversion kit in the works, but that’s not available yet.
Perhaps buying then converting a basic truck, is the answer.
Seems silly, such a growing market is being pretty much ignored.
Not surprizing though.
We’re talking Detroit, after all. :)
Why isn’t the F-150 available flex-fuel?
http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/flexfuelffvreviews/ig/2007-Ford-F150-King-Ranch/
2007 Ford F-150 King Ranch 4WD flex-fuel test drive photo gallery
Check out our photo gallery of the 2007 F-150 King Ranch flex-fuel pickup truck from our test drive and review week.
Ethanol gets crappy gas mileage under any kind of load (my experience, mind you) and corrodes anything made of rubber that it touches - like injector seals.
Besides, all that (subsidized) ethanol demand is what's causing the price increase in anything that has corn in it, including corn oil, corn flakes, fritos, and beef.
Go back before it's too late and consider a good 1/2 ton truck with a V6 or even a small V8 and some tall gears, drive like a sane person and enjoy your 20 mpg on good ol' red-blooded American gasoline.
What's not to like about that?
“American” gasoline?
It’s all purchased from Saudi Arabia! And Iran. And Venezuala...
That’s sort of my point. I want to buy American.
I don’t why anyone would want a vehicle that uses MORE fuel, gets worse mileage, has less power, and costs more.
Gasoline has 104,000 BTU/gal, E10 has 100,700 BTU/gal, and pure ethanol has 70,300 BTU/gal.
Get it?
It’s snake oil for the masses.
V6 or small V8, overdrive transmission and 3.55 rear end or so and you're set, unless you have a heavy load. Just don't drive fast; the poor aerodynamic profile of a pickup is something that can only be improved so much.
And things are only going to get better - the Chevy Volt is in the works, (still subject to some criticism, but I kinda like the idea of a plug-in hybrid) and Ford is RUMORED - RUMORED RUMORED - to be working on an F150 that uses a hydraulic hybrid system that doesn't involve batteries. (Regenerative braking compresses a nitrogen cylinder, which in turn is used to help you start again - good for stop n' go traffic.)
Again, this is only a RUMOR that I'm trying to find out more about myself. You might be interested in if you can wait...
Just my .02...
The power requirements of a farm tractor are much more suitable to a diesel than a spark ignition; constant speed heavy work load. I’ve got an old Minneapolis-Moline 445 gasoline tractor that runs on either gasoline or ethanol. It gets much better low end torque than my newer diesel tractor, but it just sucks down fuel by comparison.
I agree with the American desire, I also agree with clean air.
We should all be ranting and raving about developing a clean, synthetic, renewable, widely available, economic fuel.
And quit supporting foreign economies, and raising the cost of our food sky high.
Cool rumor.
Thanks. Maybe they could even put one on a Ranger. :)
That is the reason for the massive government subsidies. The federal government subsidizes every gallon with 51 cents and some states do not tax E85. They also impose a imposed a 54-cent tariff on Brazilian ethanol which is produced much cheaper than ours. This also creates an artificial demand for a farm product that used to be sold as food, thus driving up the cost of everything from home cooking oil to corn fed beef. It is a very expensive fuel when all the factors are included.
Yep - both of my plows run on gas, because a diesel would eat the transmission in one season.
Sure, they suck fuel - but when somebody is paying $250/hr to move them, who cares?
Well, let’s be accurate: _Today_ all farm tractors are diesel.
Before 1970, farm tractors were made with diesel, LPG and gasoline engines.
Before about 1950, most all farm tractors used gasoline; some used “distillate” and started on gasoline and switched over to distillate. Of course, back then, lots of farm tractors were started by hand. Starting a gas engine by hand? Unpleasant, but possible. Starting a diesel engine by hand? You’d better be hung like a Clydesdale to pull that thing over TDC.
The reason why farmers went to diesel engines was the higher torque and efficiency of the diesel engine, not the power density of the fuel.
Today, there’s additional issues of fuel taxation that come into it. You can buy diesel fuel that has no road taxes levied on it - it is dyed red.
You cannot buy non-tax gasoline. You can buy road gasoline, keep very close records and apply every quarter for a tax rebate, but I’m here to tell you that it is a pain in the posterior.
There is no direct subsidy.
The refiners get a “blending credit” of 51 cents per gallon. In other words, the refiners/blenders get to pay less in taxes when they blend in ethanol.
Check out the compression ratio on those old gas engines. They’re low - real low. Like 6.5 to about 8:1 or so.
High Carnot efficiency, they’ll never have. ;-)
...as a result of which they last just about for all of mortal time.
Go to a local car lot and get the scoop from them. After a big push of a few years ago for this type of vehicle you can barely find one. I suspect it is because few people want them. I have only seen one in my area. I think it was a GMC. After talking with them for awhile they said never put a drop of E85 in it.
Let me know if you find one. A guy at work has been looking for one.
My 2007 F150 Supercrew is flex-fuel. Basicially a waste as I have never used E85 nor want to- just happended to be on the lot.
thank you; beat me to it
It has been available since 2006
http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=21949
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