E-85 Refueling Events

[Cowpie]

Moved my 2015 2500 over to E85 a few weeks ago. Does pretty well on it. Yes, the mpg is down, about 2 mpg, but the cost is such that it is still less cost per mile to use E85 right now. The price spreads between fuels finally materialized to justify making the move. My 2013 1500 spent most of it's life on E85.

 

The 2500 gets about 14.5 mpg for all miles... gravel roads, in town, off road, highway, etc. And that is on E0, E10, and E15 regular. No appreciable mpg difference between those fuels in my 2500.

 

It gets around 12.7 on E85 for all miles thus far.

 

So, at the current $2.21 a gallon for E15 regular in my area, at 14.5 mpg, the cost per mile to use it is roughly 15.25 cents a mile. At $2.31 for E10 regular now, the cost would be roughly 16 cents a mile. With E0 regular at $2.45 now, the cost would be just shy of 17 cents a mile.

 

With E85 at $1.84 in my area, and getting 12.7 mpg with it, the cost per mile is roughly 14.5 cents a mile.

 

I have a business methodology to my pickup. I am interested in what gives me the lowest cost per mile to operate it. I could care less what the ethanol content is, totally unbiased and my paranoia gland is not enlarged so I don't fall for the internet horror stories about ethanol. Been using various percentages of ethanol since the late 70's, so I am not fooled by the sky is falling ethanol crowd. Took a 1974 Pontiac Catalina with a carbureted 400 small block to over 250,000 miles on E10. The motor outlasted the car. Every gasoline powered auto/pickup I have owned, most of the time, has gotten ethanol blended gasoline since it became available. I have all of the fuels available in my area, year round..... E0, E10, E15, E20, E30, E85. I like having a flex fuel motor. I can determine the average mpg for each fuel, then buy what gives me the best value at the current pricing. I would even use ethanol free gas if the pricing gave me the lowest cost per mile. Again, no bias one way or the other. One of the reasons I could never buy something like the 6.2L Ecotec in the 1500 series is because it limits my choices. I am not going to be locked into one fuel, especially premium. I like having a broad selection of choices. And, of course, each area of the country is different, with different price spreads. Each person has to determine for themselves, in their area based on cost and availability what does the best.

[Habnixzuverliern]

Hi,

Maybe someone can help me, I have a Tahoe 2007 and if I fill in e5 gas it end up with a calculation from 15-20% ethanol, which is far away from 5 %. I made a reset of the pcm, which doesn't help..... Does someone know which sensors are needed for the calculation?

Cheers

[Black02Silverado]

Been running E85 in my 02 with no issues other than harder starts when it got cold out down in the 40's the one morning. Cost of E85 is $1.45 here and E10 is $1.98.

 

Also running it in our 2011 Acaida, again only issue is harder starts in cold weather. Otherwise it runs great, even seems to have more power and better throttle response.

 

The Camaro got a tank as well. But since it only goes out on nice sunny days have not had any chance to start it when it was cold out to see if it made a difference.

 

I have done a mix of 50/50 and that seemed to solve the hard starting and mpg didn't take a hit.

[Cowpie]

I was reading a study some time ago, that was a test of various vehicles on different blends of ethanol. They found the GM engines had the best results with E20 or E30. Some getting better performance even while getting same fuel economy as E10. It is too far to go to get to a blender pump in my area that has E20 and E30, so I use E15 or E85 which is in my local area, with E15 offering the best bang for the buck right now. Equivalent mpg from it in my 2015 2500 6.0 as with E10 or E0, but considerably lower in price for E15. E85, I take a 3 mpg hit, and the price spreads are not good enough right now to make up for that on a cost per mile basis.

[RhinoGuy]

My 15 runs so much better on the e85. I don't mind paying a little extra for it. The truck even seems to shift bettrr when running e85

[Cowpie]

You are paying more for E85? is that in terms of cost per mile or actual higher price at the pump. E85 is about $1.75 in my area, with E10 being $2.19, E15 at $2.09, and E0 about $2.37. Based on those prices, E15 offers the best value for me right now. I have used E85 more frequently in the past when the price spread were greater, but not now. On a cost per mile basis, with the mpg I get from different fuels, E15 offers the best value right now to me in my area.

 

My 2013 1500 lived on E85 quite a bit, as the price spreads were pretty extreme a couple of years ago. It was common in my area to see almost a full dollar per gallon lower price for E85 than E10 back then.

[RhinoGuy]

E85 cost around the same per gallon as E10 in my area. I know that it ends up costing me more per mile to run E85 but I feel it's worth it for the hp gains.