Weblog – News – Views – Reviews

 Moms are the ones who usually cart kids around from school to scouts to baseball. More often than not, these women take responsibility for the repair and maintenance of their vehicles. But what happens when the kids grow out of the backseat and into the driver’s seat? Who’s looking after their vehicles?

Automotive preventive maintenance and repair knowledge is like algebra, says the Car Care Council. We’re not born knowing it, it has to be learned. Teach your young drivers the basics about their cars before they get the keys. If you don’t know much about automotive maintenance/ repair, do yourself a favor and learn it along with your kids. Here are a few tips:

Explain that all cars, new and old, need regular attention. Make sure your teenager knows and follows the maintenance schedule for his/her car. In addition to making a car safe to drive, preventive maintenance can save thousands of dollars during a lifetime of driving.
Don’t overlook the owner’s manual. This is full of information about the car that your young driver may never know unless he/she is familiar with this automotive bible.
Make it fun. There are myriad sites on the Internet that are fascinating for young and old drivers, alike. Some have Q & A sections. Let your teen send his/her tough questions to the professionals.
It’s probably been a while since they went on a field trip. Take them with you to the repair facility, the tire store, the body shop and wherever you have automotive work performed. Get them accustomed to the automotive world-its people, places, jargon and prices.
There are hundreds of books available on this subject. Many are written specifically for non-technical audiences; some are even humorous. Buy a few and make them required reading for the licensing process.
Make a plan. What happens if the car breaks down, he/she has a wreck, or the car gets stolen? What if no adults are home to receive the panic call? Whether you want your teenager to call your family repair facility or Aunt Sadie, give them some instruction and put important phone numbers in the glove compartment.
For many parents, driving age is the final frontier. Certainly it is an important rite of passage for teenagers. Don’t let your child pass into this stage of his/her life without being prepared. Take the time and the necessary materials to make your young driver feel competent and secure.

source:

Changing the many fluids in a vehicle is always a change for the better. Dirty engine oil, transmission fluid or anti-freeze are bad news for a car. But what about brake fluid? Many motorists know that this fluid should be topped off, but changed?

According to the Car Care Council brake fluid in the typical vehicle can become contaminated in two years or less. This is because the fluid absorbs moisture, which works its way through the hydraulic system. Under heavy braking conditions, such as those encountered in mountainous or hilly driving or when towing a trailer, moisture in the overheated fluid vaporizes (boiling point of water is lower than that of brake fluid) and braking efficiency is reduced.

“Even under normal driving conditions this condition can develop if the brake fluid is seriously contaminated” says Rich White, spokesperson for the Car Care Council. “Not only is the fluid vulnerable to vaporizing, it also can freeze.

Brake fluid must maintain a stable viscosity throughout its operating temperature range. If it’s too thick or too thin, braking action is impaired. Beyond the vaporization hazard, moisture creates an additional problem for owners of vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking (ABS) systems. Rusted and corroded ABS components are very expensive to replace.

How does a car owner know when to have fluid changed? The Council recommends replacement every two years or 24,000 miles.

“Certainly it should be included with brake pad or shoe replacement,” White emphasizes. “In between, as a preventive measure, a professional brake technician should check the condition of the fluid with an accurate fluid test safety meter, which is inserted into the master cylinder reservoir to record the fluid’s boiling point.

source:
  
 

Electric cars are something that show up in the news all the time. There are several reasons for the continuing interest in these vehicles:
Electric cars create less pollution than gasoline-powered cars, so they are an environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles (especially in cities).
Any news story about hybrid cars usually talks about electric cars as well.
Vehicles powered by fuel cells are electric cars, and fuel cells are getting a lot of attention right now in the news.
This electric vehicle began its life as a normal, gasoline-powered 1994 Geo Prism. Here are the modifications that turned it into an electric car:
The gasoline engine, along with the muffler, catalytic converter, tailpipe and gas tank, were all removed.
The clutch assembly was removed. The existing manual transmission was left in place, and it was pinned in second gear.
A new AC electric motor was bolted to the transmission with an adapter plate.
An electric controller was added to control the AC motor.

The 50-kW controller takes in 300 volts DC and produces
240 volts AC, three-phase. The box that says “U.S. Electricar” is the controller.
A battery tray was installed in the floor of the car.
Fifty 12-volt lead-acid batteries were placed in the battery tray (two sets of 25 to create 300 volts DC).
Electric motors were added to power things that used to get their power from the engine: the water pump, power steering pump, air conditioner.
A vacuum pump was added for the power brakes (which used engine vacuum when the car had an engine
The shifter for the manual transmission was replaced with a switch, disguised as an automatic transmission shifter, to control forward and reverse.
A small electric water heater was added to provide heat.
A charger was added so that the batteries could be recharged. This particular car actually has two charging systems — one from a normal 120-volt or 240-volt wall outlet, and the other from a magna-charge inductive charging paddle.The gas gauge was replaced with a volt meter.
Everything else about the car is stock. When you get in to drive the car, you put the key in the ignition and turn it to the “on” position to turn the car on. You shift into “Drive” with the shifter, push on the accelerator pedal and go. It performs like a normal gasoline car. Here are some interesting statistics:
The range of this car is about 50 miles (80 km).
The 0-to-60 mph time is about 15 seconds.
It takes about 12 kilowatt-hours of electricity to charge the car after a 50-mile trip.
The batteries weigh about 1,100 pounds (500 kg).
The batteries last three to four years.
To compare the cost per mile of gasoline cars to this electric car, here’s an example. Electricity in North Carolina is about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour right now (4 cents if you use time-of-use billing and recharge at night). That means that for a full recharge, it costs $1 (or 50 cents with time-of-use billing). The cost per mile is therefore 2 cents per mile, or 1 cent with time-of-use. If gasoline costs $1.20 per gallon and a car gets 30 miles to the gallon, then the cost per mile is 4 cents per mile for gasoline.
Clearly, the “fuel” for electric vehicles costs a lot less per mile than it does for gasoline vehicles. And for many, the 50-mile range is not a limitation — the average person living in a city or suburb seldom drives more than 30 or 40 miles per day.
To be completely fair, however, we should also include the cost of battery replacement. Batteries are the weak link in electric cars at the moment. Battery replacement for this car runs about $2,000. The batteries will last 20,000 miles or so, for about 10 cents per mile

The shifter for the manual transmission was replaced with a switch, disguised as an automatic transmission shifter, to control forward and reverse.

A small electric water heater was added to provide heat.

A charger was added so that the batteries could be recharged. This particular car actually has two charging systems — one from a normal 120-volt or 240-volt wall outlet, and the other from a magna-charge inductive charging paddle.The gas gauge was replaced with a volt meter.

Everything else about the car is stock. When you get in to drive the car, you put the key in the ignition and turn it to the “on” position to turn the car on. You shift into “Drive” with the shifter, push on the accelerator pedal and go. It performs like a normal gasoline car. Here are some interesting statistics:

To compare the cost per mile of gasoline cars to this electric car, here’s an example. Electricity in North Carolina is about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour right now (4 cents if you use time-of-use billing and recharge at night). That means that for a full recharge, it costs $1 (or 50 cents with time-of-use billing). The cost per mile is therefore 2 cents per mile, or 1 cent with time-of-use. If gasoline costs $1.20 per gallon and a car gets 30 miles to the gallon, then the cost per mile is 4 cents per mile for gasoline.

Clearly, the “fuel” for electric vehicles costs a lot less per mile than it does for gasoline vehicles. And for many, the 50-mile range is not a limitation — the average person living in a city or suburb seldom drives more than 30 or 40 miles per day.

To be completely fair, however, we should also include the cost of battery replacement. Batteries are the weak link in electric cars at the moment. Battery replacement for this car runs about $2,000. The batteries will last 20,000 miles or so, for about 10 cents per mile.

Shifting into speculation mode, a Mazda6 coupe (or return of the MX6) seems like a great way to expand the range of Mazda’s two-door offerings, while providing some competition for buyers looking at the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord coupes. We’ll take that a step further and use our powers of prognostication to equip the coupe with both the 2.5-liter four and possibly the 3.7-liter V6, along with offering a Mazdaspeed version sporting the MS3’s turbocharged 2.3-liter mill. We’re smelling a winner, but it’s all a pipedream until we hear something from Mazda.UPDATE: As per usual, this image has turned out to be much ado about nothing. It’s an official rendering from Mazda that was released when the new Mazda6 was first unveiled in Europe, and was released again today with the unveiling of the new JDM Mazda Atenza,. It has been flipped 180-degrees horizontally and had its color reduced. Thanks to Matthijs from Mazda-Madness for clearing this up!

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]

This is the Mugen’s revamped Civic Type R called the Type-RR Experimental Spec. It was being shown at the Detroit Auto Show. The Type-RR Experimental Spec is powered by a new 260hp (194kW) 2.2L K20A engine. The standard model’s manual gearbox has been replaced with a six-speed sequential unit, which shifts gears in a blistering 80 milliseconds. Additionally a carbon-fiber front bar was added and the standard seats were replaced with figure-hugging buckets.

2008 Dodge ZEO — Zero Emissions Operation – concept vehicle is a four-passenger, all-electric, “2+2″ sport wagon that embraces the bold, emotional characteristic of the Dodge brand. With its 23-inch wheels-to-the corners, heroic proportions and muscular forms, the ZEO exhibits a new youthful breed of muscle-machine interface.

Dodge owners and those who will desire the ZEO concept are unquestionably driving enthusiasts. They are less family-oriented, with a desire for things that are high-tech, and place less emphasis on pure practicality. While they boast environmental and overall responsibility, they also exhibit a “need for speed.”

“The Dodge ZEO concept is designed to break the paradigm of what an electric car should look like,” said Bill Zheng, Dodge ZEO principal exterior designer. “An electric car can be as expressive as any gasoline-powered vehicle. The Dodge ZEO concept proves that point – and then some.”

To this end, the ZEO’s body has been given an active, three-dimensional form, with the fenders boldly offset to the body.
Dodge ZEO Concept Technology

The advanced propulsion system powering the Dodge ZEO concept is electric-only with a 64 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack capable of at least 250 miles.

Resting in a rear-wheel drive layout, Dodge ZEO’s 200 kilowatt (268 horsepower) single-electric motor contributes to a 0-60 mph time in less than six seconds — which rivals Chrysler’s famed HEMI powerplant.

Unlike other such vehicles, ZEO is a four-door, four-passenger vehicle that delivers function as well as environmental responsibility.
Dodge ZEO Concept Exterior

Nestled between the robust circular wheel arches, ZEO’s taut, elongated beltline ends with the signature Dodge kick-up at the rear, where the reverse-angle C-pillar is planted directly over the rear wheel arch.

Inspired in part by the architecture of a Möbius strip, Dodge ZEO’s rakish A-pillars curve into extended roof rails that twist and converge as they race rearward. The windshield glass continues in an unbroken, curving plane nearly to the rear of the car, giving both front and rear passengers an unimpeded, all-around view while showcasing ZEO’s inventive interior.

Other expressive details include “scissor” doors, front and rear lamps treated as separate sculptural forms, and the “ZEO Orange” and dark silver exterior.

“The lit crossbar grille,” says Zheng, “is designed to communicate the use of electricity as the ZEO’s power source.”
Dodge ZEO Concept Interior

Inspired by organic forms and wireless technology, Dodge ZEO’s interior is loaded with attitude and intelligence expected by youthful buyers.

“The Dodge ZEO concept is an example of designing for people who are used to a dynamic lifestyle and who are surrounded with information and virtual friends at all times,” says Lou Gasevski, principal interior designer of the Dodge ZEO concept.

The entire cabin is treated as if it were a single piece of sculpture.

A broad sloping fabric-wrapped surface in front of the driver curves dramatically into the door and quarter panel. It then sweeps around the back panel to the opposite side quarter and door, ending in a sloping surface in front of the passenger.

This design approach blends the usually separate-looking parts of the interior into a unified whole. A narrow strip of blue LED accent lighting on the doors and quarters lead to the back panel, adding to the sweeping effect. Most of the interior surfaces of the ZEO concept are colored in Super White, adding to the sculptural impression.

A slim center console slopes down from the windshield of the Dodge ZEO, creating a dual-cockpit effect. It then levels off to divide the cabin by continuing clear to the back panel. To avoid visual clutter, customary controls and a viewing screen are set flush with the surface.

Instead of a conventional instrument panel, the steering wheel, column and instruments are treated as a single freestanding design element. The Dodge ZEO concept’s steering wheel has two vertical spokes, set closely together, leaving 80 percent of the rim “open” for maximum visibility. The laid-back center hub, containing the driver air bag and auxiliary switches, is stationary, with the wheel rim revolving around it. Left and right horizontal paddle-levers just behind the wheel rim activate the remote radio functions.

The sloping plane of the center hub, which cantilevers forward above the steering column, houses the instruments which are displayed on a thin blue acrylic viewing screen set directly in front of the driver. The entire elegant multi-piece ensemble adjusts with the wheel rim to the driver’s needs.

Doors and quarters are bisected by a flaring, wide-to-narrow dark gray panel separating the upper and lower surfaces – with the lower portion of the door and quarter curving inboard to provide an armrest surface. Milled aluminum door pull handles, placed diagonally, act as accents.

Contrasting colored Copperhead stitching follows the forms of the ZEO’s Super White leather seats. For maximum comfort, the four bucket seats sport highly-contoured bolsters on the seat cushions and backs. When in the down position, the slim sculpted headrests nestle neatly into the tops of the upper seatbacks. The seat shells are constructed from milled aluminum, with video screens integrated into the front seatbacks.

With its bold exterior and curving, sculptural interior, the ZEO concept appeals to Dodge brand customers who want value, expressive design and useful technology.
Dodge ZEO Concept Vehicle Specifications

Vehicle Type Battery Electric Vehicle, performance sedan

“2+2″ passenger seating

Weight and Dimensions
Weight/GVWR 2650 lbs./3400 lbs.
Length 172.8 inches/4390mm
Width at H-point 68.6 inches/1743mm
Height 50.8 inches/1290mm
Wheelbase 109.9 inches/2792mm
Couple 1-2 29.2 inches/742mm
Front overhang 32.8 inches/832mm
Rear overhang 30.1 inhces/765mm
Track front/rear 64.1 inches/1628mm 65.8 inches/1671mm
Approach angle 10.2 degrees
Departure angle 24.6 degrees
Turn circle 40 feet/12.2m
Maximum width 76.5 inches/1944mm

Powertrain and Suspension
Layout Rear wheel drive

Motor Single electric
Power: 200 kW (268 hp)
Regenerative braking

Battery 64 kWh Li-ion battery pack

Suspension Front – SLA
Rear – SLA

Wheels and Tires
Tire size front P225/40R23×8 30.1 inches/764mm
Tire size rear P255/40R23×9 31.0 inches/788mm
Tire manufacturer Goodyear

Color Scheme
Exterior Orange Metallic
Interior Super White

Key Performance Attributes
0-60 mph 5.7 seconds
Standing ¼ mile 11.0 seconds
Top speed 130 mph
All-electric range 250 miles
Equivalent mpg 120 mpg

Chrysler is out to convince folks of its green cred here in Detroit, so it’s offering up the Dodge Zeo to the fuel- and emissions-conscious masses. The 2+2 coupe features 64kWh of electric energy that’s sent to the rear wheels via a 268-hp motor. Dodge claims that the 2,650-pound Zeo can amble along for 250 miles before it’s due for a recharge, although we’d suspect that turning the massive 23-inch wheels might take a bite out of the Zeo’s long-range cruising capabilities. The actual mechanicals are also, most likely, a figment of some product planner’s imagination at the moment.

The design is typical concept car flare, with wheels pushed to the edges of the body and a steeply raked windshield that carries all the way to the rear of the vehicle, terminating in a tapered hatch that’s accentuated by massive fender flares.

Nearly five million alternative-fuel vehicles are currently on U.S. roads—and many of their owners don’t even know it. Flexible-fuel (flex-fuel) models first appeared in 1991. Since then, each of the Big 3 domestic automakers has manufactured about 1.5 million flex-fuel cars, and hundreds of thousands more are expected to arrive by the end of 2006. A flex-fuel vehicle, or FFV, is a vehicle that is capable of running on either gasoline or E85, which is a blend of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline. The idea of such vehicles is not a new one; Henry Ford designed his Model T to operate solely on ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol. All current vehicles can accept fuel containing up to 10-percent ethanol.

Availability
Ethanol can be manufactured from various sources, but “corn is king,” according to Phillip Lampert, executive director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. Ethanol production is therefore strongest in the upper Midwest region of the United States. “That’s where our political support is,” Lampert adds. Clean Air Choice, a clean fuel program from the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, estimates that a bushel of field corn can be processed into at least 2.7 gallons of ethanol.

Partly motivated by fuel-economy credits from the federal government, automakers have decided to make certain engines of specific car models operational on both fuel types as a no-cost option. In most cases, either the salesperson fails to explain, or the buyer overlooks the flex-fuel feature. “Probably the vast majority of drivers don’t know they have a flex-fuel vehicle,” Lampert says. GM intends to put special labeling on upcoming flex-fuel models, though mostly they look and behave like regular vehicles.

Benefits
Ethanol advocates emphasize that using E85 results in decreased reliance on imported oil, reduced environmental pollution, and a lower negative impact on the public’s health. Lampert adds that ethanol is 100-percent renewable and non-carcinogenic. At the same time, production is 100-percent domestic. “Absolutely without doubt,” the use of ethanol enhances America’s energy security, says DaimlerChrysler spokesperson Nick Cappa. “Also, it helps farmers.”

E85 has a substantially higher octane rating than today’s gasoline, which means improved performance by way of greater horsepower. Clean Air Choice reports that E85 has the highest oxygen content of all available fuels, so it burns more fully. Its use can result in a nearly 30-percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA claims that making the switch from gasoline to ethanol blends can lower the environment’s carbon monoxide levels by as much as 40 percent, and smog-forming pollutants by 15 percent.

Greenhouse gas emissions are likely to be cut by 15 to 20 percent. Lampert notes that you need high volatility in winter for cold starts, and low volatility in summer to prevent vapor lock. The mixture may be seasonally adjusted. In colder months, it can be tweaked to contain less than 85-percent ethanol which will, of course, effect the vehicle’s overall mileage rating.

Drawbacks
As for drawbacks, ethanol has a noticeably lower energy content than gasoline—exactly how much lower seems to be a matter of some controversy. According to Lampert, this decreased energy content rating translates to roughly a 12- to 20-percent reduction in fuel mileage. John Howell, product director for Cadillac, states there is a “15- to 25-percent difference in the level of energy by liquid measure.” EPA fuel-economy estimates for flex-fuel models reveal that E85 reduces gas mileage by 21 to 31 percent during city driving and 20 to 34 percent while on the highway. Assuming that E85 typically costs just slightly more than the average going rate of gasoline, annual fuel costs could climb to levels as high as 30 to 52 percent greater when using E85 rather than gasoline.

Currently, E85 is sold at only about 640 filling stations nationwide, and more than two-thirds are in the upper Midwest, meaning availability is proving to be a large obstacle. Although the number of E85 stations doubled last year from the previous year, Lampert believes the total number of stations is still tiny, especially when compared to the 170,000 stations that dispense conventional gasoline.

Vehicles
GM’s available flex-fuel vehicles include Chevrolet’s Monte Carlo, Impala, Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe, along with GMC’s Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL. Chrysler offers a flex-fuel Sebring, and Dodge makes available its Stratus, Caravan, Ram, and Durango. DaimlerChrysler, which includes Dodge, recently announced that it will now offer its flex-fuel vehicles for sale to the public. Ford has an FFV Crown Victoria and F-150 pickup, while its Mercury line submits the Grand Marquis, and Lincoln grants its Town Car. Nissan is currently the only foreign auto manufacturer offering a flex-fuel vehicle model—the Titan pickup. More than half of all new Titans can run on E85.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as reported by Clean Air Choice, for every unit of energy used to produce ethanol (and co-products), 1.67 units of energy emerges. In contrast, each unit of energy used to produce gasoline results in 0.79 units of energy. Not everyone agrees with those figures. Some critics charge that ethanol results in a net energy loss, not a gain, when considering the production and distribution process. Wisconsin auto writer Matt Joseph urges caution, citing a Cornell University study concluding that ethanol does indeed deliver negative net energy, contradicting the USDA’s findings. To make E85 a truly valuable alternative to gasoline, Joseph believes, “the positive factor would have to be huge.”

At this year’s 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Ford Motor Company and General Motors both announced a new project in cooperation with VeraSun Energy Corporation to expand the number of ethanol stations. Ford also displayed an Escape Hybrid E85, which would be the first hybrid powertrain to run on an ethanol mixture.

 Ethanol is ethyl alcohol, also called grain alcohol. Chemically, fuel ethanol is identical—-albeit in a purer form–to the alcohol we drink. To make sure fuel ethanol isn’t used for frat house punch, it’s denatured, which means it is mixed with another chemical (usually gasoline) that renders it undrinkable.

Where Does Ethanol Come From?

Ethanol comes from one of these three raw material groups:

starchy crops, such as corn
sugary crop, like fruit or sugarcane
cellulosic plants, such as trees or wild grasses
While the process for making ethanol varies somewhat depending on the feedstock, the basic steps are the same.

The feedstock is milled or crushed, and may be treated with chemicals or enzymes. This step is designed to yield as much fermentable sugar as possible from the feedstock.
Yeast is added to the prepared feedstock and sugars are converted to alcohol.
The alcohol is extracted from the mixture by boiling it in a distiller.
Nearly all the ethanol made in the United States uses corn for a feedstock. Brazil, the world’s largest ethanol producer, makes ethanol from sugarcane. Other countries, such as France, use sugar beets and wheat as their primary feedstocks. With current technology, it is easiest and most efficient to produce ethanol from sugar crops, since the sugars in these feedstocks are readily available for fermentation. In the future, advances in ethanol production may increase yields and decrease the cost of producing ethanol from cellulosic material.

The Blends

Most likely, you’re using ethanol in your car without even knowing it. In many regions, small amounts of ethanol are blended with gasoline to reduce emissions. Mixtures as high as E10 (10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline) are safe for use in most vehicles, including hybrid models such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid.

Much of the news lately has been about fuel blends that have higher ethanol content. The most common is E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline), which only can be used in vehicles that are designed for that fuel. Currently, no hybrid models accept E85 fuel, but more than 20 E85-compatible cars and trucks (called “flexible-fuel vehicles”) are available now from four major manufacturers

The Upside of Ethanol
Proponents of ethanol emphasize its environmental and energy security benefits.

Ethanol is a renewable fuel that comes from agricultural feedstocks, and thus can be produced domestically.

Using ethanol made from corn instead of gasoline would lead to a moderate 13 percent reduction in greenhouse emissions. Using cellulosic ethanol from feedstocks such as switchgrass, pictured above, could result in 88 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo: National Renewable Energy Lab.)
Using ethanol (particularly E85) also results in less pollution, reducing smog-forming emissions by as much as 50 percent relative to gasoline. E85-powered vehicles also contribute to global warming, although experts disagree about just how much greenhouse gas is emitted by using ethanol.

One might expect that by using E85, net carbon dioxide emissions would be almost zero. The crops used to make the ethanol absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during their growth, then this CO2 is put back into the atmosphere when the ethanol is burned in an automobile engine. In reality, this cycle is overly simplistic because it fails to recognize other greenhouse gas emissions that occur during the cultivation and production of ethanol. Modern farming, for example, relies heavily on diesel-powered equipment that emits greenhouse gases. Distilling ethanol is also an energy-intensive process that often uses electricity generated from coal, another source of greenhouse emissions.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley recently examined six major studies of ethanol production and concluded that using ethanol made from corn instead of gasoline would lead to a moderate 13 percent reduction in greenhouse emissions. However, the researchers note that more dramatic reductions are possible if technology advances make it economical to make ethanol from cellulosic materials such as switchgrass, a crop currently grown by some U.S. farmers to control erosion on idle fields. Using cellulosic ethanol, they project, could result in 88 percent less greenhouse gas emissions.

The UC Berkeley study also contradicts a common criticism of ethanol: that it takes more energy to produce it than it delivers as a motor fuel. The study concludes that ethanol made from corn does indeed have a positive “net energy balance,” particularly if you consider that other valuable products, such as corn oil, are byproducts of the ethanol-making process.

The Downside
E85 may be better for the environment and the American farmer, but it has some drawbacks.

The first is price: ethanol can be more expensive than gasoline, depending on where you live. Data on fuel prices from the DOE shows that in the Midwest (where much of the country’s ethanol is produced) E85 sells for nearly 30 cents less per gallon than conventional gasoline. However, on the West Coast, filling up with ethanol would cost a driver 35 cents more per gallon. In the mid-Atlantic states, E85 had an even higher premium: 44 cents per gallon.
The higher price of E85 in many areas is made worse by ethanol’s second drawback: ethanol, regardless of the price you pay for it, contains less energy than gasoline. This means that your car won’t go as far on a gallon of E85, and your fuel economy will decrease by 20-30 percent. This is bad news for consumers because even if the price of E85 at the pump is cheaper than gasoline, using ethanol may not be less expensive in the end.
Let’s consider one example. The most fuel-efficient flexible-fuel vehicle available this year is the Chevrolet Impala. Using gasoline, it is rated at 21 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. By using E85, rated mileage drops to 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

If you fill-up the Impala’s 17-gallon tank at a station in the Midwest, you’ll save $5.10 by using E85. So far, so good. However, you can’t drive as far on E85 and will have to refuel sooner than if you had purchased conventional gasoline. In fact, your cost per mile is higher using E85: 9.7 cents/mile vs. 8.4 cents/mile for regular gas.

A 1.3 cent per mile difference may not seem like much, but over the course of a year’s driving it adds almost $200 to your fuel costs.

Another other issue is that E85 is widely available only in the Midwest. The DOE lists more than 600 E85 stations in the United States, but nearly half of those are in two states: Minnesota and Illinois. Other areas, even populous ones, have little E85 infrastructure. For example, New York, California, Texas and Florida have just 15 E85 stations combined, only two of which allow sales to the general public.
To put things in perspective, there are more than 150,000 stations nationwide selling gasoline. While all of them may not need to offer E85, it is clear that wider distribution is needed before E85 can begin to displace gasoline sales.