does anyone actually use E10 out of choice?

[Capa]

It is a fact that ethanol produces less energy than regular gasoline and therefore there will be a drop in MPG. It's really just a question of how much. The number that I have seen the most for E10 is 3%. I recall years ago that both Car & Driver and Consumer Reports tested E85 in several vehicles and saw a humongous drop in MPG (around 30%). Here's a link I found:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/06q3/ethanol_promises-tech_stuff

 

[fsskier]

The last page of the Car and Driver article touches on the part that is really damaging. When a manufacturer produces a flex-fuel car or truck - he can average the E-85 mileage (counting only the 15 percent gasoline in it) with the E-0 mileage.

So a 15 mpg vehicle might become a 22 mpg vehicle "on paper"

So every manufacturer that produces flex fuel vehicles is allowed to cheat hugely on those cars and trucks. A pickup can be loaded up with a monster motor, jacked up for lousy aerodynamics and dangerous tippy-teetery handling, indeed any fuel saving design issues can be ignored and still greatly exceed the epa requirements. This loophole was of course lobbied in by the ethanol and farm interests, it is now estimated to increase our national fuel consumption more than any possible savings from producing and using ethanol in the first place Got that? Ethanol, and Ethanol related legislation is actually increasing our fuel consumption and dependency on foreign oil.

And almost nobody with a flex fuel vehicle uses E-85 more than once.

No, I will not support the use of ethanol!! And, if you want to save energy, buy a more efficient vehicle.

Then learn to be a hypermiler... no not the nutty stuff, just looking further down the road and not powering your vehicle up to every red light, then slamming to a stop just in time to see it turn green.. it will make a better and safer driver out of you, and you may even get there quicker as you learn to look further ahead and anticipate more.

OK, rant ended!!

 

[Capa]

Luckily in Oklahoma a gas station must legally disclose if it has ethanol. Most only have E10, but there are a few that sell no ethanol gas. I definitely avoid E10 in my V8 Lexus but in the Grand Caravan I usually go with the E10 because the cost for pure gas is usually more than the 3% I stand to lose using E10. However, I'm wondering about the rumors on-line that gas that contains ethanol will shorten an engine's life slightly???

 

[saberz]

I have no choice, NJ is all Ethanol. I'm a prisoner of the government

 

[Kestas]

After reading all these posts, to answer the original question, it looks like nobody preferably buys E10 out of choice.

 

[Samilcar]

Hey, I'm not a nobody!

I've been buying E10 by choice for the past few decades. Less money going to foreign interests that wish us dead, and more money going to stimulate my local economy. The only time I've chosen not to buy E10 is when I've been doing mileage tests comparing E0 to other ethanol blends, and also when market forces got out of whack a few years ago and E10 was more expensive than E0.

 

[Big_Ed]

Originally Posted By: Samilcar
Hey, I'm not a nobody!

I've been buying E10 by choice for the past few decades. Less money going to foreign interests that wish us dead, and more money going to stimulate my local economy. The only time I've chosen not to buy E10 is when I've been doing mileage tests comparing E0 to other ethanol blends, and also when market forces got out of whack a few years ago and E10 was more expensive than E0.


As a fellow American, thank you. I don't mind getting a little bit less mileage, if it keeps a little bit more money here.