This can be problematic for corn prices during poor harvests. Obviously you want to treat your engine in the best way possible. Unfortunately, ethanol absorbs dirt easily, which can potentially corrode and damage your engine, says Car Bibles. One of the main concerns about driving a flex-fuel car is its gas mileage.
While some experts assert that flex-fuel vehicles have similar mileage as regular fuel-powered vehicles, others claim they have lower gas mileage. While ethanol does raise a vehicle's octane level, it contains less energy.
In other words, it will take 1. So, yes, you will get fewer miles per gallon using ethanol. However, ethanol costs less than regular gasoline, so the savings should more than offset the mileage loss. Because flex fuel isn't as economical as gasoline, gas stations are less likely to carry it.
In fact, only a small percentage of gas stations nationwide supply ethanol, although that is likely to change as more consumers purchase flex-fuel vehicles. The benefit of a modern flex-fuel vehicle, though, is that you can use any combination of gasoline and ethanol, whether it's percent unleaded gas or 85 percent ethanol.
Your vehicle's sensors will detect the blend and make the necessary changes. The debates surrounding the pros and cons of flex fuel and flex-fuel vehicles aren't going away anytime soon. However, there does seem to be a move toward using ethanol as an environmentally friendly and economical fuel source. More ethanol refining plants are opening up, and even if you're not ready to transition to a flex-fuel vehicle yet, it's something to keep in mind for the future. Technology is always changing, so there's no way to predict what flex-fuel vehicles and advances could emerge over the next few years.
You could be driving a flex-fuel car already and not even know it. Flex-fuel vehicles typically look no different than other vehicles, but there are some signs you can look for. For example, many manufacturers put yellow gas caps on flex-fuel vehicles or a yellow ring where you insert the fuel nozzle. Other vehicles have labels on the fuel doors indicating they take flex fuel.
If you do have a flex-fuel vehicle, you could switch to an alternative fuel source now, without having to go through the effort and expense of purchasing a new car. For any feedback or correction requests please contact us at research caranddriver. New Cars. Buyer's Guide. Unleaded, octane racing gas is expensive and not widely distributed.
Readily available premium gas tops out at 94 octane. The history books are a good place to start. During World War II, BMW and Daimler-Benz sprayed methanol and water mixtures into their supercharged aircraft engines to forestall detonation premature ignition of the fuel-air charge.
In the U. But the most sensible approach for the public at large is to use technology now in hand to achieve significant mpg gains. The tech? Gasoline, E85, and direct fuel injection. It also helps the gasoline burn cleaner, which makes it a friend to the environment with less carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen "nox" emissions. The most common blend is E10, which includes up to 10 percent ethanol blended with unleaded gasoline.
All auto manufacturers that sell vehicles in the United States cover under warranty the use of up to 10 percent ethanol E10 in the vehicle. More consumers now have the ability to choose E85, which is a blend of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, at a local gasoline stations. In order to use E85, consumers must use a flex fuel vehicle or had a vehicle modified to use E The Fuels Rebate is for E85 and biodiesel when used in a vehicle at least 50 percent during the year.
Consumers may apply for a vehicle rebate when an E85 or biodiesel vehicle is purchased. Conversion rebates are also available when converting a conventional gasoline or diesel engine to an alternative fuel.
However, conversion to natural gas, propane, or electricity are more common under that program. Much research has been done and more is in progress to test other ethanol blends for use in motor vehicles. One of the studies 2 , which was released in December , found that some vehicles had better fuel efficiency, even higher than gasoline, with a blend of 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent unleaded gasoline E Some state governments are considering increasing ethanol blends within their states and increased ethanol blends were part of discussions with automakers during federal economic bailout negotiations in late However, currently in Illinois all ethanol blends higher than 10 percent must be labeled, "For flexible fuel vehicle use only.
Some people may question why vehicles cannot run on percent ethanol as people in Brazil are able to do with their cars. Pure alcohol may have difficulty starting an engine in cold temperatures, below 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
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