Originally Posted by Garak
Originally Posted by Iowegian
Originally Posted by Pelican
Ethanol in fuel ought to be abolished!!
You are not much for free markets are you?
There is no ethanol free market in most of North America. Canada used to have one. When it did, Husky/Mohawk would sell ethanol free 87 and ethanol enhanced 89 at the same price. As soon as the ethanol mandate came in, which is averaged across total volume of gasoline sold. What that resulted in was 89 being more expensive than 87. A regulation distorted the free market, and the free market incentive to use ethanol (a higher grade for the same price as regular) disappeared and the free market choice to use E0 87 disappeared with it. The only E0 available here is premium, and that's not a free market choice.
Husky/Mohawk was the only fuel supplier in Canada (and probably one of the only ones in North America) that actually chose to market ethanol enhanced fuels on their own, before any mandates. Considering that no one else did it, it tells me ethanol enhanced fuels cannot withstand the free market, and Husky/Mohawk was able to do so likely only because of their infrastructure (i.e. they own ethanol plants).
You are right, we don't have a free market. We haven't had free markets in decades. Government made it illegal (oil lobby) to use ethanol.
Now the government mandates certain % of regular and ethanol.
How about we let the consumer decide? Let the gas stations decide what they want to sell?
No ethanol, 10%, 20%, or even %50?
Neither side wants a free market because that brings uncertainty and loss of control.
"Banning" ethanol is again, the lack of free market.