I bought a flex fuel chevy suburban 2007?

Question

and my nearest ethanol filling station is 45 miles from my house? Whats up with that?

Answer 1

Don't bother with E85. It causes poorer fuel mileage and poor acceleration, so you have to step on the gas harder. It will save you no money at all.

Answer 2

E85 is about 5-10% cheaper than regular and you get about 25% fewer miles to the gallon.  Also, I believe that I have read in Car and Driver that it costs more energy to make E85 than you get out of it.

Answer 3

ethonol isent any cheaper, you just pay for it at the grocery store instead

Answer 4

People make less money selling ethanol, so there are less stations.

You're lucky! I have to drive from Virginia Beach to DC to get ethanol.

Answer 5

Not to worry, because your flex fuel car can use regular gasoline and did not cost more to buy. And in a few years when there is a gasoline shortage because the Chinese are buying up all the oil in the world, and there are 2 hour long lines at all the gas stations (like there were during the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s), then you can go to the ethanol station while the others can't.

Answer 6

I used to work for Chevy and from what they said there are suppose to be more of the ethanol stations opening up nationwide.  But who knows how long that will really take!

Answer 7

It might be possible to start a local co-op for yourself and other flex-fuel vehicle-owners. Search ethanol providers for wholesale/bulk purchase, ask around for available (already permitted) storage, do a bar-napkin cost analysis and go from there.

Remember as you proceed that it really isn't a novel idea at all. Farmers have always put tanks near the barn or equipment shed and still do. Businesses that deal with farmers are more likely than most to know contacts for ethanol as farmers are big on the profit end of that.

Good luck!!!

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