Top Tier Gas and E85 Flex Fuel

JoJoSilverado · February 24, 2017

Old article – but confirms my suspicions...... If MPG is king - why make us run inefficient ethanol !

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a17240/how-does-ethanol-impact-fuel-efficiency/

I know up in MN there was a period a couple years back that all the stations only offered e10 minimum, to support the corn farmers, as that area is a large farming community. It has gone back to having mixtures of fuel, but that was the reason it occurred in the past. Perhaps similar with your area?

Cowpie · February 24, 2017

Well, Iowa even outdoes MN in both corn production and ethanol production. Iowa is the largest corn producing state in the nation. But the state never got stupid about it. I have 46 ethanol plants surrounding me, yet, we have had E0 most everywhere all the time. Hardly a town in the state where you can't get ethanol free gasoline. But on the flip side, we have access in many places to E15, E20, E30, E50, and E85 via blender pumps. I love having so many choices to chose from and I can select what works for me at the lowest cost per mile. And agriculture rules Iowa to the extreme, so some idea that lack of ethanol free gas is to help the farming sector is not quite accurate. Minnesota's problem is the Twin Cities and their version of how the world should work. Fortunately, we don't have such large cities and the associated greenie politics in Iowa.

Krusty · February 24, 2017

Well, Iowa even outdoes MN in both corn production and ethanol production. Iowa is the largest corn producing state in the nation. But the state never got stupid about it. I have 46 ethanol plants surrounding me, yet, we have had E0 most everywhere all the time. Hardly a town in the state where you can't get ethanol free gasoline. But on the flip side, we have access in many places to E15, E20, E30, E50, and E85 via blender pumps. I love having so many choices to chose from and I can select what works for me at the lowest cost per mile. And agriculture rules Iowa to the extreme, so some idea that lack of ethanol free gas is to help the farming sector is not quite accurate. Minnesota's problem is the Twin Cities and their version of how the world should work. Fortunately, we don't have such large cities and the associated greenie politics in Iowa.

Think I need to move to Iowa......... ;)

Cowpie · February 24, 2017

Nebraska also is a major corn producer and ethanol producer and they have the same idea about things as Iowa.... allow the consumer to choose what they want.

I have been an advocate of Butanol. It does not have the mpg problems of ethanol, as it is pretty close to gasoline in energy BTU content, it is not hydroscopic (attract water) like ethanol, can be transported thru existing pipelines unlike ethanol, and can be safely used in all vehicles up to 20% compared to ethanol's 10%. All it takes is a ethanol plant taking their process one more step to make butanol from the ethanol they make already. And it has the clean burning effect of ethanol as well. I have been all over my hired help at the state capitol and in D.C. to allow a favorable business climate to get butanol off the ground and be the major player instead of ethanol only.

tim5779 · February 10, 2018

We have pure gas here in Indy at one station and one station only...Country Mark. Usually found in small towns (hence the name). Their claim to fame is "Ethanol free gas". I use it in all my 4 stroke engines (quad, lawn mower, etc.) Having said that, I've recently learned (and proven) that if you have a 14' and up Ecotec3, do NOT run 87 octane...Ethanol free or not. These engines are designed to run high octane fuels and run 10x better when you do. If you have flex fuel, use it. These engines love E85 the most.