Originally Posted By: Jocephus
I drive the same route 3 times per week on highway...146 miles round trip. I Set the cruise control when I hit I-40 so for probably 130 miles i'm on the cruise control.
My Escalade with 6.2L V8
On 100% gas I get 18.4 mpg
On 10% ethanol I get 15.7 mpg
On E85 I get 13.2 mpg
I only run 100% gas now after doing the test for a month...even wrote my congressman a letter with the full supportive documentation. Heard nothing back.
I still don't understand the governments thinking of how getting less gas mileage saves fuel.
Hummm, no.
Ethanol has about 34% less energy per unit of volume. That being said, an E10 mix should only net about a 3.7%(+/- a small amount) drop in economy... not a 14.6% drop that you listed. So if your 100% Gas fuel economy is that actual economy of the vehicle, then you should expect you MPG to drop to 17.96mph... less than 0.5mpg. Even an full E85 you should get 14.6.
The point of adding ethanol was not to "increase MPG" but rather as a oxygenator to decrease carbon monoxide emissions in a post MTBE era as MTBE was a MAJOR source of groundwater pollution. I already think there is something in the water in same places and adding more MTBE would not be a good thing. The other big reason for ethanol is that is reduces the need for FOREIGN oil. I rather give money to switchgrass/algae farmers (less to corn farmers) than countries in "less stable" areas.
Also, if you complain about mileage, drive a more economical vehicle. Even the old V8 DeVilles could get upper 20/30+mpg highway.
I drive the same route 3 times per week on highway...146 miles round trip. I Set the cruise control when I hit I-40 so for probably 130 miles i'm on the cruise control.
My Escalade with 6.2L V8
On 100% gas I get 18.4 mpg
On 10% ethanol I get 15.7 mpg
On E85 I get 13.2 mpg
I only run 100% gas now after doing the test for a month...even wrote my congressman a letter with the full supportive documentation. Heard nothing back.
I still don't understand the governments thinking of how getting less gas mileage saves fuel.
Hummm, no.
Ethanol has about 34% less energy per unit of volume. That being said, an E10 mix should only net about a 3.7%(+/- a small amount) drop in economy... not a 14.6% drop that you listed. So if your 100% Gas fuel economy is that actual economy of the vehicle, then you should expect you MPG to drop to 17.96mph... less than 0.5mpg. Even an full E85 you should get 14.6.
The point of adding ethanol was not to "increase MPG" but rather as a oxygenator to decrease carbon monoxide emissions in a post MTBE era as MTBE was a MAJOR source of groundwater pollution. I already think there is something in the water in same places and adding more MTBE would not be a good thing. The other big reason for ethanol is that is reduces the need for FOREIGN oil. I rather give money to switchgrass/algae farmers (less to corn farmers) than countries in "less stable" areas.
Also, if you complain about mileage, drive a more economical vehicle. Even the old V8 DeVilles could get upper 20/30+mpg highway.