The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 357
run on gasoline. Although FFV engines might have some component parts that
are supposedly more ethanol-friendly, they are not ethanol optimized so a flexfuel engine will deliver fewer miles with E85 than regular gasoline (E10).
Another way to explain and prove this point is that diesel fuel (also made from
petroleum oil) has more “energy” per gallon than gasoline. However, if you try
using diesel in your gasoline-optimized vehicle you will get much less MPG – in
fact, the engine might not start. The use of the content issue is just hocus-pocus.
3. But wait, it’s worse than just hocus-pocus misdirection. The press release
then uses the 33% less energy figure as a blanket measurement to tell you how
much mileage you will lose and then uses the lower mileage figure against the
lower cost per gallon of a higher ethanol blend fuel to tell you that the cost savings isn’t worth the effort. But the 33% loss is a theoretical number. The true
on-the-road figure is probably closer to just a few percentage points, perhaps
as much as 10% depending on the blend level. So if you buy a gallon of E85
that costs 25% less than regular gasoline, but you lose 5% or 10% in miles, you
still have a nice net gain. Consequently, using ethanol would be less expensive.
4. Then, according to the press release, AAA says that in their study 95% of all
those surveyed are not familiar with E15, which means that they could unintentionally fill up with E15 “…and end up spending more on gas and potentially
wrecking their engines.” Consequently, in this statement they have issued an
irresponsible warning and an insult, compounded with a lie. First, as I said in #1
above, where will the drivers find E15?
Second, the press release is suggesting you don’t know how to read. E15
equipped pumps and hoses are marked at least as clearly as diesel pumps and
hoses. Yes, some “very happy” holiday revelers will undoubtedly mistake a water hose for a tire air-hose, and some will leave their Big Gulp drinks on the roof
of their cars as they drive away, but the damage of losing a $2 Mountain Dew
to carelessness is far greater than any damage that will happen to a gasolinepowered engine that uses E15 fuel – whether the E15 use is unintentional or
intentional.
5. This brings me to AAA’s threat of damage. The text in the press release
simply tells the public that E15 will result in “…potentially wrecking their engines.” They don’t state how the “wreckage” might occur; they don’t indicate the
nature of the damage; and they offer no statistical information concerning the
likelihood of any such damage. It is simply an over-stated irresponsible unproven warning.
