Summer/Winter Gasoline

[Grumpy Bear]

In Illinois we have five “collar” counties that have mandated “reformulated fuels” for smog. It’s a word with a broad meaning. ‘Heavy reformate’ or catalytic reforming is a process that reforms naphtha type hydrocarbon chains from benzene rings into higher octane molecules and is used as a lead exchange. During the conversion from lead to reformate they use to give “lead credits” for this exchange.

 

It can also mean oxygenated fuels that have their own issues you have outlined in your above discussion but do serve to lower emissions and yes they also lower fuel mileage and are seasonally adjusted. In Illinois this is five counties out of 102 but they also represent the highest population counties in the state.

 

Refiners do not do this unless they are forced to by law. It is expensive and causes a host of image issues.

 

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/special/pdf/rfg2.pdf

 

Counties and populations at the time the Federal Law was enacted. About 23.8% of the population at the time.

[Grumpy Bear]

So what is the magnitude of cold oils influence on fuel efficiency? A good deal more than some think. I plugged in the data logger and graphed it in real time. See my build thread (Grumpy Bears 2015 Silverado 2WD) posts #166 & #167 for the full run down. Then ask yourself what zero temperatures effect might be.

 

Why argue about something you can measure?

[Jsdirt]

I have no idea why this state (MA) tries to copy CA emissions ( well, that's not true - it's about MONEY ... and stealing it from The People ... ) - we have no large desert valleys where smog can form, and the damn weather changes so much that even if we did, it would be blown out to sea the next day!

 

It's a total scam up here. My asthma is no better today than it was in the 70's.

[Colossus]

Today I filled up and was all grins. I love my Kroger/Grocery rewards card. I could have gotten $1.00 a gallon off but chose .50 cents off to save some of the rewards for next week's fill up.

[Grumpy Bear]

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas/wells-to-consumer/fuels-and-refining/gasoline#0

 

Here's a fun place to surf. Myth buster central.