E85 energy loss

[LubeOiler]

This may be old news but I found it just today.SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Sport-utility loyalists may be four-wheeling through the wrong mud bog if they think ethanol-friendly SUVs will cut gas costs and help the U.S. curb its dependence on foreign oil, according to a Consumer Reports study released Thursday.

The consumer watchdog publication ran a battery of tests on the 2007 Chevy Tahoe flexible-fuel vehicle, which can run on either E85 -- a mixture consisting of 85% ethanol -- or gasoline, and found that the SUV's mileage dropped from 14 mpg to 10 mpg on E85.

The decline could be expected in any flex-fuel vehicle, the report said, because ethanol has a lower energy content than gasoline.

 

[MGBV8]

Saab shows drop in mpg compared to price and performance

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=108748

E100

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/02/gm_introduces_4.html

In the UK we have 5% ethanol (Tesco 99) and did well in these tests

http://www.thorneymotorsport.co.uk/gcs_article.php?artid=64&typelink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thorneymotorsport.co.uk%2Fgcs_article.php%3Ftype%3DNews%26subtitle%3D0%26title%3D0%26text%3D0% 26toc%3D1

 

[RinconVTR]

There are very through reports for each side of the E85 debate. The lastest do not show a loss during the complete production process, and Bio-Mass type ethanol production shows even more promise with a huge faciltiy being built in Canada right now.

And if cars were better tuned for E85 (beyond additional sensors and bigger injectors to toss more fuel in) and could take advantage of the high octane ratio...I find it hard to believe E85 MPG's could not become more competitive with E10.

I know its impossible to match MPG's with E10, I'm simply stateing E85 (FFV) vehicles could become "more competitive" with changes. For example...who will be the first to make a motor with "variable compression ratio"?!?! Then add ignition timing and valve timing changes soley for E85 fuel.