[kellynla]

"Unless ethanol becomes more commonly accepted, no major manufacturer is going to bring an engine to market optimized for it."

You're about ten years behind the times.

Just a few vehicles available.

Dodge Caravan
2006
Ethanol


Dodge Durango
2006
Ethanol

FORD
Crown Victoria
2006
Ethanol


FORD
F-150
2006
Ethanol
Avalanche
2006
Ethanol

CHEVROLET
Impala
2006
Ethanol


Monte Carlo
2006
Ethanol


Silverado
2006
Natural Gas


Silverado
2006
Ethanol


Silverado
2006
Bi-Fuel Natural Gas


Suburban
2006
Ethanol


Tahoe
2006
Ethanol

GENERAL MOTORS
Yukon
2006
Ethanol


Yukon XL
2006
Ethanol





LINCOLN/MERCURY

Grand Marquis
2006
Ethanol


Lincoln Town Car
2006
Ethanol


Taurus
2006
Ethanol


Taurus Wagon
2006
Ethanol



Dodge Grand Caravan
2006
Ethanol


Dodge Ram Pickup
2006
Ethanol


Dodge Stratus
2006
Ethanol

[Mr. Lucky]

The vehicles listed by you are all optimized for low octane gasoline; they will run on ethanol, but suffer a fuel economy penalty without a real corresponding power benefit. An engine designed to run on 87 octane will have a compression ratio of, maybe, 9:1. An engine designed for alcohol can power a 15:1 compression ratio. An engine designed for alcohol needs a less complex cooling system, benefits from a longer intake venturi, responds more effectively to supercharging, etc. The trouble is, while a car designed for 87 octane will run on ethanol, just at a penalty, a car designed for ethanol won't run worth a hoot on gasoline.

My current truck is a 2006 Silverado. While I fill it almost exclusively with e85, it gets better mileage on gasoline. GM could retune the engine for alcohol, but it would then require a very high octane gasoline where ethanol wasn't available (and it still wouldn't run as well on it). There just isn't that sort of demand yet.

I used to have a 1972 Nova which we modified to run denatured alcohol (in the days before electronic ignition and fuel injection). That sucker wouldn't run at all on unleaded gasoline, but it was a rocket on ethanol.