With ethanol gasoline, how much is your mpg reduced?

Question

With ethanol gasoline, how much is your mpg reduced?

Answer 1

It's not as far as I know.

Answer 2

Ethanol-fueled cars (E85 - 85% ethanol/15% gasoline) get much less MPG than the same vehicle using 'straight' gasoline.  This is because current engines must be made to use both gasoline and E85 because E85 isn't available everywhere.  If a vehicle were purpose-built for ethanol-only, it would be much more efficient than the flex-fuel engine.

The energy content of ethanol is about 30-35% less (per volume) than gasoline, so a 'flex fuel' vehicle will use about 30-35% more ethanol fuel compared to gasoline to do the same amount of work.

As an example, a flex-fuel Chrysler Sebring gets 19/27 (city/highway) with gasoline, and 13/20 (city/highway) with E85.

The Chevy Impala gets 18/28 with gas, and 13/20 with E85.

If you're unfortunate enough to own a flex-fuel Dodge Dakota pickup, it gets 14/19 with gas, but only 9/12 with E85.

These 'official' estimates are from the website linked below.

Answer 3

I went from 89 gas, where I got the best mileage at 26 mpg. I ran  10% ethanol for several months, trying to find a way to get the ethanol mileage up. I made several engine modifications (all minor) to try to adapt to the ethanol.

In the end, the BEST ethanol rating I got on my car was 21 mpg.

Engineers and chemists will tell you that ethanol can only improve performance, but it depends on the car. (Theory is only good on paper!)

For the time being, check your current mileage, then try ethanol for a while. Give it at least a few tanks worth. If you know how a bit about your engine, you may try making modifications to your car's computer or other mods which affect mileage, oxygen output, crankcase ventilation (believe me, it helps), Air flow sensor, etc.

Don't make any really big changes all at once. Just little tweaking until you find the sweet spot.

If there is no ethanol sweet spot for your car, put it back to how it was and return to gas.

Oh yeah, don't forget to write down every change you make for reference.

Answer 4

chicubs

Ethanol does not reduce mpg or horse power it actually improves it as well as prolongs the like of your engine.

heres some more helpful facts..

Ethanol doesn’t go bad like petroleum it’s just Alcohol. It’s what preserves your wine and gets better as the years go by.

Ethanol is a much cleaner fuel than petrol (gasoline):



It is a renewable fuel made from plants

It is not a fossil-fuel: manufacturing it and burning it does not increase the greenhouse effect

It provides high octane at low cost as an alternative to harmful fuel additives

Ethanol blends can be used in all petrol engines without modifications

Ethanol is biodegradable without harmful effects on the environment

It significantly reduces harmful exhaust emissions

Ethanol's high oxygen content reduces carbon monoxide levels more than any other oxygenate: by 25-30%, according to the US EPA

Ethanol blends dramatically reduce emissions of hydrocarbons, a major contributor to the depletion of the ozone layer

High-level ethanol blends reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 20%

Ethanol can reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by up to 100% on a full life-cycle basis

High-level ethanol blends can reduce emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) by 30% or more (VOCs are major sources of ground-level ozone formation)

As an octane enhancer, ethanol can cut emissions of cancer-causing benzene and butadiene by more than 50%



Sulphur dioxide and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions are significantly decreased with ethanol.

Lastly and my favorite.. It can be made at home.

It will cost about $1.10 to $1.20/gal to make the alcohol from various feed-stocks like corn, barley, potatoes, or Jerusalem artichokes. You will also have by-products which you can sell or use as animal feed, reducing the total cost down to about $.95/gal.

I currently run Bio Fuel (straight vegetable) in a 1999 Dodge 3500 truck. But all Cummins engines were modified from the factory to run on BioD since around 1992 without any modification.

Biofuel is recognized by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as an alternative fuel, and qualifies for mandated programs under the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Environmental Protection Act of 1992 (EPAct).

USDA Clears Air with Biofuel: Buses and other diesel-burning vehicles run cleaner if they mix biofuel with regular diesel fuel, said the US Department of Agriculture at a biofuel fuel seminar at a USDA research center.

Conversely most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

http://www.agua-luna.com/guides.html

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at http://www.agua-luna.com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Retired Boeing Engineer now living 100% Off-the-Grid with my family, using Alternative Energy & loving every minute.

for more info visit agua-luna com or email me at [e-mail]

http://www.agua-luna.com

Stop Global Warming, Receive a FREE Solar

Answer 5

Ethanol fuel will not effect your mpg.Most vehicles actually increase at first because the fuel burns cleaner and helps remove deposits of carbon from your engine thus restoring your original consumption.

Answer 6

I've been noticing a 3mpg loss in the last 2 tanks.  I didn't know that my usual station started blending 10% ethanol until digging into the reason for the reduction.

My 2006 Infiniti FX35 usually got 18mpg of mixed highway/town driving (short distance/hills), but its been getting 15 lately b/c of the blending.   UGH!

The stations here did not disclose what they were doing either.    200 miles less on 2 tanks is equal to taking money right out of my pocket.  I'm pretty steamed about it.  

Luckily, we still have two companies here who sell 100% gasoline. Its just a shame I had to dig up this information on my own.  

Deceivers!!!!

Answer 7

My god agna is full of c**p.  Here is the real story.

1 Gallon of ethanol contains about 76,000 BTU (BTU- is the amount of energy that is contained it)

Gasoline has about 116,000 BTU

Since 15% of an E85 car contains gasoline, the reduction in mileage  is between 24% to 34% less for E85 vehicles.

The funny part to this is to make 1 gallon of ethanol which contains 76,000 BTU, it requires 98,000 BTU just to make it.

If you think ethanol is better for the enviroment, your dead wrong, it worse.  

http://www.slate.com/id/2122961/

Answer 8

Roughly 30% for pure ethanol.

Answer 9

early estimates are about 1/3rd.

Answer 10

Ethanol is high octane fuel so if you burn it in a high compression or turbocharged engine you get more efficiency out of it.  If you burn it in a low compression engine you lose efficiency and it is less mileage than gasoline.

Answer 11

Use it and you will actually see a reduction in mileage of 4 or more mpg.

Check the sites in Brazil who actually use the stuff and this is what they have been reporting for years, but it doesn't matter to them as they are now auto energy independent of oil and they have plenty of it.

Answer 12

E-85, you mean?

I use E-85, in Minnesota, nearly year round.  Generally, I lose about 3 miles to the gallon with E-85, although, this tends to be a bit higher when it is below zero.

Answer 13

As far as I know, it is about 2-4 mpg less for E-85 than regular gas.