Converting to e 85 or fuel cell?

Question

I have a buick lucerne that i love and will have it paid for in a couple of years. Do you think that we will ever be able to convert the cars that we now own to be e85 compatible, or even go as far as fuel cells?

Answer 1

E85 has to be about a buck a gallon less for me to buy it. It gets poor mileage. There are too many cars out their that can burn E85 to convert one.

Fuel cells are at this time a pipe dream.

Answer 2

Both are non-starters.  E85 creates more pollution than gasoline, is more expensive and uses more energy than it delivers.  Fuel cells are expensive and hydrogen is the worst possible means of storing energy.  The best option in terms of economy and environmental impact would be to convert to diesel.

Answer 3

This would literally cost you more than it's worth.

There are engines which can take full advantage of E85, but your Buick isn't one of them.  Unless the engine was designed to be flex-fuel (with the appropriate fuel-composition sensor and computer software) it's going to be hard to convert.  Most vehicles get substantially lower mileage on E85, so even if E85 is slightly cheaper you would still pay more dollars per mile.

Fuel cells are even more of a ground-up engineering challenge than E85.  This is not a garage conversion project.

The cheapest alternative "fuel" isn't a liquid, it's electricity.  Electricity costs the equivalent of about 75¢/gallon.  Electric conversions for some car models are almost literally a matter of installing a kit.  If you wanted to do something useful for your Lucerne, you could do an all-electric conversion or a plug-in hybrid electric conversion.  I would suggest using a 500 cc motorcycle engine as the "sustainer" if you went the PHEV route.  PHEV would let you drive around town without burning a drop of fuel, but still have the range to go wherever you wanted.

Answer 4

I would not recommend this route of conversion into E85, It only cost a few cents cheaper than gasoline and yet it give you poor milleage..i know because I own a flex fuel van.

A fuel cell car uses gas to produce electricity which charges the battery. which then runs the electric motor  of the car. Its totally different than a car that has an internal combustion engine.

Like you. I am tired of the high price of fuel so I have decided to convert my van to run on hydrogen on demand which I have made myself.

Answer 5

The proponent of the first answer has a VERY narrow view about the subject of E-85.  India, for example, thinks it's inhumane to make E-85 while there are people starving worldwide.  Consider a broader view.

Technically (meaning illegally) you CAN convert that particular car to E-85 or even pure ethanol.  Look up flex tek, or google ethanol conversion kits.  Costs about $700, and you need to know some things about your car, because your mechanic won't install it.  EPA regs make it illegal, due to (get this) POLLUTION LAWS.  The reason we have 10% ethanol in our regular gas is to cut pollution.  Most cars made after 1991 are capable, cost varies per cylinder count.  You'll have to replace your fuel filter after 500 miles (all the gunk the gas made will break loose and stop there).  Also, you'll get about 25% to 35% less mileage per gallon.  

People are saying it costs so much more to produce ethanol - but they live in metro areas with no infrastructure.  The infrastructure will come, and the processing costs are high because the vehicles used to move the plants are powered by gasoline or diesel.  Springfield, IL, for example, will have an ethanol refinery in a couple years - and instead of paying crop subsidies to NOT grow things, we'll start GROWING things again.  Since we're already not feeding the world with the excess capacity we're paying NOT to grow, why not do something else with it?