"There's simply no two ways about this fuel question. Gasoline is going - alcohol is coming. It's coming to stay, too, for it's in unlimited supply. And we might as well get ready for it now. All the world is waiting for a substitute to gasoline. When that is gone, there will be no more gasoline, and long before that time, the price of gasoline will have risen to a point where it will be too expensive to burn as a motor fuel. The day is not far distant when, for every one of those barrels of gasoline, a barrel of alcohol must be substituted." - Henry Ford, 1916
Conversion FAQ
These questions and more are answered extensively in the book "Alcohol Can Be A Gas" by David Bloom. If you would like more information or would like to order a copy of the book, please visit our online store.
Why Convert to Ethanol?
With alcohol fuel, we can become energy-independent, reverse global warming, and survive Peak Oil. Alcohol fuel is "liquid sunshine" and isn’t controlled by corporations. Alcohol fuel can be produced for less than $1 a gallon, using a wide variety of plants and waste products, from algae to stale donuts. Alcohol is a superior fuel to gasoline and can be used to fuel your car right now! Alcohol fuel production is ecologically sustainable, revitalizing farms and communities; it creates new opportunities for small businesses. Most of the new ethanol plants involve farmer-owned cooperatives; its byproducts are clean, valuable, and sustainable.
There are four primary reasons to reduce or (even better) eliminate fossil fuels from your energy diet: reduce the US trade deficit, and associated benefits. the national security’s reducing our reliance on foreign oil, reduce CO2 and its contribution to global warming, and provide for our economy.
How many MPG will I get with Ethanol?
E85 is priced to be around 20% below gasoline’s price, expecting that you’ll receive a 15-20% mileage reduction using E85.
There are so many variables that relate to your fuel mileage, such as the season and weather, how the vehicle is driven, and the fact that every vehicle is somewhat different making it hard for the average vehicle owner to get a spot on accounting of mileage.
The most current information from controlled environment testing is that in a engine designed to run on gasoline, mileage will decrease using ethanol-blended fuel, a small price to pay for a cleaner environment.
How much does E85 cost?
E85 is priced to be around 20% below unleaded gasoline’s (E10) price
Check out this Gas vs Ethanol cost per mile Calculator from e85prices.com
The National average price of E85 rose 15 cents in March to $2.67 but the price was less than the increase in gasoline and thus the National average price spread widened to 15.9%.
How much will Ethanol reduce pollution?
A benefit of burning Ethanol over gasoline is the reduced emissions of carbon monoxide, total hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides. Ethanol powered vehicles reduce greenhouse gases by up to 37.1 percent and lower carbon monoxide levels by 25 to 30 percent over similar gasoline burning vehicles.
How will Ethanol affect my car?
Ethanol is a better-quality fuel than gasoline. It’s 105+ octane, it burns cooler with less vibration. It is less flammable than gasoline, 98% pollution-free, has lower evaporative emissions, and NO deposits from carbon in the engine or oil, resulting in a doubling to a tripling of engine life.