Comments on: Is Ethanol the Answer? http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/ personal finance tips, tricks, and commentary Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:22:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Juston Garland http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29776 Juston Garland Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:22:26 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29776 I think ethanol is a step in the right direction but I do not think it is the answer. It might end up being a mixture of battery operated, ethanol and maybe solar power. I think ethanol is a step in the right direction but I do not think it is the answer. It might end up being a mixture of battery operated, ethanol and maybe solar power.

]]> By: Matt http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29629 Matt Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:04:27 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29629 Ethanol is a government subsidy to the Archer Daniels Midland corporation, not an energy policy. (Which is also why fuel ethanol will never, in the United States, be made from anything more efficient than corn.) Producing and distributing fuel-grade ethanol consumes more petroleum than it saves. The more ethanol we use, the more dependent we are on imported oil to make fertilizer and to process corn into alcohol. The amount of oil used to produce enough ethanol to replace a gallon of gasoline is greater than the amount of oil used to produce the gasoline itself. When plug-in hybrids make economic sense (I'm guessing 5-7 years after the first one comes on the market) I might buy one. Preferably in a diesel. But an all-electric vehicle will never have the effective range to be worth the price of a seperate car, and hybrids of today just don't make sense, unless one attaches an extraordinarily high value to the ability to self-righteously look down one's nose at other people. Ethanol is a government subsidy to the Archer Daniels Midland corporation, not an energy policy. (Which is also why fuel ethanol will never, in the United States, be made from anything more efficient than corn.)

Producing and distributing fuel-grade ethanol consumes more petroleum than it saves. The more ethanol we use, the more dependent we are on imported oil to make fertilizer and to process corn into alcohol. The amount of oil used to produce enough ethanol to replace a gallon of gasoline is greater than the amount of oil used to produce the gasoline itself.

When plug-in hybrids make economic sense (I’m guessing 5-7 years after the first one comes on the market) I might buy one. Preferably in a diesel. But an all-electric vehicle will never have the effective range to be worth the price of a seperate car, and hybrids of today just don’t make sense, unless one attaches an extraordinarily high value to the ability to self-righteously look down one’s nose at other people.

]]> By: Nick http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29616 Nick Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:52:10 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29616 Aha! Just found this. Check out this new presentation on biodiesel plug-in hybrids. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=363807137347714545&hl=en Aha! Just found this. Check out this new presentation on biodiesel plug-in hybrids.

http://video.google.com/videop.....&hl=en

]]> By: Nick http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29615 Nick Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:44:48 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29615 Biodiesel also beats ethanol when it comes to preserving the environment. Burns cleaner. I suppose the ultimate sustainable vehicle would be a biodiesel plug-in hybrid. It would be cheap to drive and could cover cross-country distances if necessary. Biodiesel also beats ethanol when it comes to preserving the environment. Burns cleaner.

I suppose the ultimate sustainable vehicle would be a biodiesel plug-in hybrid. It would be cheap to drive and could cover cross-country distances if necessary.

]]> By: Nick http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29612 Nick Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:37:50 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29612 Electric cars are the future. The problem with fluid-based fuels (including ethanol) is that they must be refined, transported, and stored. That's a huge waste of energy. Worse, the process of internal combustion is (much) less efficient than an electric motor. That's more energy down the drain. Before you've even pressed the gas pedal, you've already pumped tons of carbon dioxide into the air... double or triple that during your daily commute. Fun. Electric beats ethanol, big time. Electric cars are the future.

The problem with fluid-based fuels (including ethanol) is that they must be refined, transported, and stored. That’s a huge waste of energy. Worse, the process of internal combustion is (much) less efficient than an electric motor. That’s more energy down the drain. Before you’ve even pressed the gas pedal, you’ve already pumped tons of carbon dioxide into the air… double or triple that during your daily commute. Fun.

Electric beats ethanol, big time.

]]> By: Mike http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29610 Mike Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:21:07 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29610 Opps.... I noticed a mistake in my post above. I meant the driver could go thousands of miles without having to FILL UP his or her hybrid. Of course they would have to plug it in order else they aren't recieving the full benefits of the vehicles. Opps…. I noticed a mistake in my post above. I meant the driver could go thousands of miles without having to FILL UP his or her hybrid. Of course they would have to plug it in order else they aren’t recieving the full benefits of the vehicles.

]]> By: Mike http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29607 Mike Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:19:25 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29607 Ethanol is a good start, but there is still some debate as to whether the production of ethanol saves gasoline (because gasoline is used to produce, refine, and ship it). I believe that in the near future ethanol will be made from something more beneficial than corn. Brazil uses sugarcane, and Honda has discovered a very effiecent way to produce ethanol from discarded plant material. I think the next big thing in alternative energy for cars is plug-in hybrid vehicles. That is if the price of the plug-in hybrids is reasonable. A driver of a plug-in hybrid vehicle could go thousands of miles without having to plug in his or her hybrid. And that's with no reduction in performance, power, and cargo capacity. Ethanol is a good start, but there is still some debate as to whether the production of ethanol saves gasoline (because gasoline is used to produce, refine, and ship it). I believe that in the near future ethanol will be made from something more beneficial than corn. Brazil uses sugarcane, and Honda has discovered a very effiecent way to produce ethanol from discarded plant material.

I think the next big thing in alternative energy for cars is plug-in hybrid vehicles. That is if the price of the plug-in hybrids is reasonable. A driver of a plug-in hybrid vehicle could go thousands of miles without having to plug in his or her hybrid. And that’s with no reduction in performance, power, and cargo capacity.

]]> By: Carl http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/comment-page-1/#comment-29388 Carl Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:44:43 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/10/17/is-ethanol-the-answer/#comment-29388 I purchased a 2003 Explorer this summer and it is a flex-fuel vehicle, and with ethanol plants poping up all round me. 1 more opens in December and 2 are in the planning stages. I started running E-85 in the explorer to find my Fuel mileage. It was about 13.5 MPG on E-85. Then I started to run regular unlead or E-10 and my fuel mileage was and has been 17.2 to 17.6. Just over 20% decrease with E-85. I now compare the prices and if E-85 is 20% cheaper I will fill up with it. In august the E-85 price was close to that 20% less. I have noticed that the engine was tuned to run or 87-89 octane fuels and not the 100+ E-85. The cruise control could not get efficent shift points on E-85 as well. I hope that as E-85 gets more popular the manufacturers will tune the engines to run on it, I suspect I could pick up a couple miles per gallon if that was the case. I purchased a 2003 Explorer this summer and it is a flex-fuel vehicle, and with ethanol plants poping up all round me. 1 more opens in December and 2 are in the planning stages. I started running E-85 in the explorer to find my Fuel mileage. It was about 13.5 MPG on E-85. Then I started to run regular unlead or E-10 and my fuel mileage was and has been 17.2 to 17.6. Just over 20% decrease with E-85. I now compare the prices and if E-85 is 20% cheaper I will fill up with it. In august the E-85 price was close to that 20% less. I have noticed that the engine was tuned to run or 87-89 octane fuels and not the 100+ E-85. The cruise control could not get efficent shift points on E-85 as well. I hope that as E-85 gets more popular the manufacturers will tune the engines to run on it, I suspect I could pick up a couple miles per gallon if that was the case.

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