« Sempra Commodities Signs 20 Year Ethanol Marketing Agreement With Etanalc S.A. | Home | Ethanol Sales To Exceed Gasoline In Brazil By 2020, Petrobras To Shrink Oil Business To Focus On Biofuels »
State Vehicles Increase Ethanol Use
By Mr Ethanol | October 9, 2007
Belleville News Democrat:
The state has bought hundreds of flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on ethanol over the past few years, but that may be costing taxpayers thousands of dollars in fuel costs because of the vehicles’ lower gas mileage, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday.
Flex-fuel vehicles can run on either regular gasoline or an 85 percent blend of ethanol, which typically is generated from corn.
While E85 can boost Missouri’s farm economy and reduce the dependency on foreign oil, it also can reduce vehicle gas mileage by 15 to 30 percent, according to federal and auto industry estimates.
Supporters of the fuel note that E85 generally is less expensive than regular gas. Missouri officials say they believe those discounts make up for most, if not all, of the loss in gas mileage.
But Missouri’s own data suggest the state is probably not buying E85 at enough of a discount to justify the loss in gas mileage. In fact, for every dollar the state is saving on the fuel, it could be spending as much as $2 extra toward more frequent fill-ups.
According to an annual report by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the state paid about 14 percent less than it would have for gas for 299,155 gallons of E85 it bought between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2006.
Related Posts
- GM Says Half Of Vehicles Will Run On Ethanol By 2012
- State Offers Grants To Expand Sale Of Ethanol Fuel
- N.Y. Gas Stations First In State To Sell Ethanol To Public
- Ford Gives Ethanol Demonstration Vehicles To KCP&L And Gov. Matt Blunt
- Iemma Orders Ethanol For Public Cars
- Energy Bill Unlikely To Be Of Much Help
- Eco Friendly Vehicles: A Case Of Misplaced Emphasis?
- Negotiators Nearing Energy Bill Compromise
- Gas Hits $5 A Gallon In Areas Of California
- US Push For Higher Blends Of Ethanol
New Way Of Making Easy Money Online