Of course, this quote from the article would be called an "andedote" and not a scientific experiment. There are several keys words here, such as "didn't pay much attention." She also probably didn't pay much attention to the fact that she was driving on I-5 which is a bit mountainous in Oregon...Portland is at sea level and Medford is 1300 feet. 3PriusMike
There are two reasons for banning ethanol in avgas: 1) The ethanol will dissolve hoses and seals not designed for it, and 2) ethanol binds to water and can precipitate out causing fouling problems. Tom
I see 46-48 city with mega hills daily, and 53-56 country mostly flats. Ethanol should lessen mileage, but local conditions will effect mileage more (IE fast starts, hills, carrying a load).
Ethanol came to Florida without any price decrease, just a decrease in MPG. I am very against it, since there is no benefit for the consumer except to increase food prices. When the transition took place, using my scanguage on my old car, I saw a clear 10% drop in MPG, not 3% as mentioned above. Of course, I have also learned since then that the 10% ethanol is not exact, it can vary, so I am convinced that if it makes them an extra penny they are pushing it to 15-20 unofficially. I want regular gas back.
No, pretty sure if anything your only getting 10% where the law requires it. ETH is more expensive than gas now, it made sense with $4 gas, now maybe not, at least from just price that is.
My 52.4 MPG lifetime average over 70K miles has fallen to 50.3 MPG over 93K miles since the introduction of E10 locally.
That's about what I would expect and have seen here locally. I'm sticking with 100%. And here in OKC, Sam's Club has 100% non-Ethanol for $2.12 per gallon this week for members and $2.15 for non-members. Oklahoma City Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in Oklahoma Makes the choice pretty easy.
No interest in smog-related emission reduction? No interest in long-term transistion to bio-waste sources? E10 is all I have ever used in my Prius for the last 9 years. Local research continues to push advancements in the source & refining. It's been working well in-state for us. As for food price influence, the switch back to sugar away from high-fructose corn syrup likely has more of an impact than ethanol. .
A few years ago my BMW started having problems. Sometimes it wouldn't start, or it would stall, or the check-engine light would come on. I brought it to the dealer and without missing a beat they said "If you're using Mobil (I was) then stop because they put more than 10% ethanol in their E10." I have had fewer such issues since switching. I have also discovered an enzyme additive called Star Tron (www.startron.com) that seems to do a good job fighting the ethanol. My local garden center happens to sell the stuff but you should also be able to find it a marine center.