The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 16
ripped us off with their phony supply and demand tactics. The last thing we need
is to place our trust again in the jaws of these wolves.
ETHANOL - The Single Solution Fuel
Shortly after buying the van, I started
looking for a used non-flex fuel gasoline-powered car to buy so that I could
conduct extended long-term ethanol
tests.
One of the best aspects of using ethanol is that all gasoline-powered vehicles on the road, and all brand-new
gasoline vehicles, can run on ethanol
or ethanol-gasoline blends without
any engine modifications needed.
I had the opportunity to buy a friend's used 2002 non-flex fuel Ford Taurus. He
was asking $3,500. I immediately bought it. I figured that one way or another,
the purchase price would be worth its weight in editorial gold by providing The
Auto Channel with some great stories and practical ethanol experience.
Incidentally, I also purchased a small still to see if it is truly possible for average
people to produce their own ethanol, if need be. As I learned, it is possible, and
rather simple, but I'll also save this story for another time.
Over the past few years, my Ford Taurus has been the subject of several articles I've written about ethanol, and an important part of the speeches I've given
at industry and government events.
On multiple occasions, I've related how I fueled up on every ethanol-gasoline
blend from E10 to E85, with the only problem being that the "check engine" light
might illuminate. I could save up to $1.00 per gallon of fuel by mixing E85 with
standard E10 fuel. I never experienced any engine or performance problems
related to the use of ethanol.
In fact, the single most noteworthy experience I had with my 2002 non-flex fuel
Ford Taurus was the first time I took the vehicle for a smog test after using high
ethanol-gasoline blends for about two years.
