[NVDave]

My reaction is “Well.... duh!”

Once again, some of the facts on ethanol turn out to be rather otherwise from the “conventional wisdom.”

[chilepepper]

Archer Daniels Midland owns North and South Dakota.

[nralife]

This sort of flies in the face of this posted a little earlier today:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2009906/posts

[org.whodat]

Optimal Blend" Is Likely E20 or E30; Coalition Calls for Further Government Research

Follow the money, follow the money.. I think I'll call BS on this one.

[Flavius]

great more studies

how about a 20 year bipartisan commison

[zerosix]

Wonderful "news" green weenies at Motor Trend(y).

Now just how many billions in third world country do you propose we starve to death to use subsidized corn products.

If you were really interested in the availability of motor fuel, you would champion domestic drilling - but NO you are more interested in being "green" so you are popular at the automobilia cocktail circuits.

[Amendment10]

And here's a development in ethanol production that's probably worth keeping an eye on.

Non-corn ethanol

[mountainlion]

So the denver sin fuel (epa blend) 14% ethanol gets 18 mpg and Raton regular gets 26 mpg. I would rather stay far away form denver and save 44% on gas costs.

[Billthedrill]

Hmm...well, the thing was co-sponsored by ACE - "the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is the grassroots voice of the U.S. ethanol industry, a national trade association for the ethanol industry," so I'll be just a little careful about leaping on it. But the text did say that with two vehicles they actually showed a 1% improvement in mileage with a blend over straight gasoline and one other vehicle as high as 15%. Show me the numbers...

[Tahoe3002]

MY 2000 Porsche 911 gets 3-4 MPG less on ethanol blends purchased in Houston than the non-ethanol gas purchased in Mathis Texas.

[count-your-change]

What the study actually shows (having read it) is that a flex fuel Chevy Impala got better mileage on a blend than it did on straight gasoline. It also got worse mileage on gasoline than a regular Impala when both used straight gasoline.
Conclusion: A higher blend MAY in some flex fuel vehicles give you a higher mileage. In a regular vehicle any blend will lower mileage.
Don't get too excited yet, folks.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

One thing I haven’t heard about is the use of acetone as a gasoline additive. Widely debated, it is asserted that a small amount of acetone added to a large amount of gasoline does not increase its octane level, but does break gasoline’s surface tension, which allows it to more fully evaporate and combust.

http://www.pureenergysystems.com/news/2005/03/17/6900069_Acetone/

I have been using it in both a 4-door sedan and an economy car for several years now, but only when the price of gas goes over $3/gal. I do notice considerable improvement to fuel economy in both vehicles.

Some will adamantly argue that it can’t work, it won’t work, and I will ruin my engine in the process. But from my own experience, it hasn’t happened.

Importantly, more is *not* better. Not a drop more than 3oz per 10 gallons, or you will start to lose mileage.

[machenation]

Thanks for reposting from Dec. 5.
Do you remember the old sunoco pumps with 5 different octane choices?
Anyhow they could set up a touch screen to choose the make year ect. When the computer determines what fuel is best you get your gas and 2 Demon Rats are chosen on the next ballot./Sarc...
Best Wishes to you.

[Secret Agent Man]

Great. E20 will pollute the groudwater twice as bad as E10 does.

[SunkenCiv]

Those assumptions were found to be incorrect. Instead, the new research strongly suggests that there is an "optimal blend level" of ethanol and gasoline--most likely E20 or E30--at which cars will get better mileage than predicted based strictly on the fuel's per-gallon Btu content. The new study, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), also found that mid-range ethanol blends reduce harmful tailpipe emissions.

At that level it acts as a fuel as well as oxygenator a la MBTE.