The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 287
Regarding the Ford CNG conversion option for about $300, this is for new vehicles with the conversion taking place in the factory at the time of assembly.
However, this is exactly the problem I was speaking of. In the factory, at the
time of assembly, the package is no big deal. However, if you wish to convert
an older car, let's say your 2014 vehicle, it will cost you thousands of dollars
because of the fees levied by the EPA and some states. But it shouldn't cost
that. Keep in mind, that in some states, such as California, you cannot convert
any gasoline-powered car to CNG, regardless of cost. If you do the conversion
outside of California and try to register it in the state, they will not allow it.
I owned a factory converted CNG-powered Dodge Ram 1500 van for several
years (I just recently sold it).
Regarding small engines and mechanics: In my previous reply I provided two
links that deal with this issue. If you haven't already read this information you
should do it now.
And I stand by my statement that many auto mechanics know as little about
ethanol as you. As for the manufacturers, many don't know about ethanol, or
they are doing what Volvo is doing, guarding against warranty claims.
To the pipeline issue, I already answered it in detail, and I did state that corrosion could be a problem in untreated pipelines. However, when ethanol is
shipped via pipeline, such as they do in Florida, they use treated pipes. Ethanol
is carried by tanker trucks and stored in tanks in the ground. These tanks use
materials that are corrosion resistant, just like gasoline trunks and tanks. It's no
big deal.
Regarding your comment on recreational boating and aviation, your impression
is incorrect. First, please revisit my comments about boats in Brazil. Second,
Mercury Marine has conducted significant tests and has no problem with E10,
in fact, they say it may be even better to use E10 than E0. But, again, Mercury
sells its marine engines in Brazil, and Brazil's minimum mandated fuel is E27,
so we know that Mercury Marine engines sold in America can use higher blend
levels than E10. This link will take you to the extensive ethanol webinar conducted by Mercury Marine:
http://dcd96xmek71bc.cloudfront.net/archives/email/Trade/BoatingIndustry/MythsofEthanol-August252011.mp4
As far as aviation, it's a different issue. In order to save small aircraft manufacturers from the added cost of re-tooling their engines, the FAA granted a waiver
for the U.S. They considered that the amount of tetra-ethyl lead and other bad
