New study shows improved mileage with some ethanol blends

A new study is now showing some improvements in mileage with blends of 20 and 30% ethanol.


http://www.ethanol.org/pdf/contentmgmt/ACE_Optimal_Ethanol_Blend_Level_Study_final_12507.pdf

Video from Jay Leno's garage.

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/index.shtml?vidID=137216


Click on link and view video from Jay Lenos garage on E85.

Straight from the king of corn country, Iowa corn

About 191 bushels per acre on this farm during 2007 harvest

Ethanol compatability

This is a great site to check out compatability with ethanol and any other material. Try it, you will be suprised with the results. https://www.sealsales.com/chemicalcompat2.htm

Converting your vehicle to E85

Yes, it can be done. Currently the EPA has only approved one company to do it and only for fleet vehicles. However, it is only a mater of time before conversions will be allowed for all vehicles.

http://flexfuelus.com/

Grand Touring Labs uses another method to convert which does not require a module change. Only larger injectors and new plugs. http://www.grantouringlabs.com/

Be sure to click on the link "The drunken boxer project."

E85 pricing and locations.

Here are a few sites that offer the recent prices on E85 and also locations with addresses, phone numbers and links for maps to the stations.

http://e85prices.com/

http://www.cleanairchoice.org/outdoor/

http://www.e85refueling.com/

This last one will offer you the option to locate several types of alternative fuels.

http://afdcmap2.nrel.gov/locator/

Biodiesel refueling sites. http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/default.shtm

Affects of E85 in a non FFV Vehicle

Click on this link to view video showing the effects of E85 on a non ffv. You will be surpised to see the results. http://www.ethanol.org/video/

The Relative Impact of Corn and Energy Prices in the Grocery Aisle

By John M. Urbanchuk Director, LECG LLC
June 11, 2007


Retail food prices measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food have begun to accelerate and are beginning to approach rates of increase last seen in mid-2004. Critics of renewable fuels are blaming the recent increases on high prices for corn caused by increasing ethanol production. They fail to point out that corn prices are only one of many factors that determine the CPI for food, and in fact, directly affect a small share of retail food prices. Increases in energy prices for example exert a greater impact on food prices than does the price of corn. A 33 percent increase in crude oil prices – which translates into a $1.00 per gallon increase in the price of conventional regular gasoline – results in a 0.6 percent to 0.9 percent increase in the CPI for food while an equivalent increase in corn prices ($1.00 per bushel) would cause the CPI for food to increase only 0.3 percent. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the impact on consumer food prices resulting from increases in petroleum and corn prices.

To view the entire study click here. http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/pdfs/061407_EthanolAndFoodPrices.pdf

Fuel vs. Food: Is it Rhetoric or Reality?

Hardly a day passes without reading an article or hearing a report that higher corn prices, due to the increased fuel demand for ethanol, are causing higher food prices. Yet these articles and reports are generally vague about the specific connection. In fact there is little, if any, evidence that higher corn prices have influenced consumer food prices to date.

Back in November this author published an article looking at the possible impact of ethanol and higher corn prices on food prices. The basis for the article at that time was an economic analysis done in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) that showed little impact from ethanol on food prices in 2006 and 2007 and then a 0.2% rise in the food CPI price index 2008. In 2009, the food CPI would rise 0.5% and then the next three years the food CPI would be 0.7% higher then would otherwise be the case.

For the rest of story click on link. By Terry Francl Senior Economist
American Farm Bureau Federation http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/pdfs/2007/071007_RhetoricVersusReality.pdf

Challenge X, the Green Car Challenge

So much is at stake. Our personal freedom is linked directly to the mobility that our transportation choices allow and the automobile is central to our way of life. Building on the success of more than two dozen advanced vehicle student engineering competitions promoted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Natural Resources Canada, and leading industry partners, DOE partnered with General Motors to sponsor the most ambitious project to date – Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility.
The 2007 Challenge X was the prove-out of a multi-year program that challenged seventeen universities from across the country to improve the efficiency and capabilities of a Chevrolet Equinox GM crossover, while minimizing the vehicle’s environmental impact. What makes the program so unique is the real-world structure the college teams encountered. Challenge X participants followed GM’s Global Vehicle Development Process (GVDP) to develop, engineer, and integrate advanced technology solutions into their team’s Equinox. These are the same processes they will follow after graduation and throughout their engineering careers.

And the rest of the story, click here. http://www.greencar.com/features/challenge_x/

Saab’s New Range of Biofuel Cars

The Swedish-based subsidiary of General Motors, Saab (producer of high quality Saab components like Saab thermostat), has recently claimed leadership in the growing flex-fuel segment with the introduction of its unique BioPower concept. The system makes use of the combination of turbo-charging that utilizes E85 to increase engine power and performance.

And for the rest of the story click here. http://www.articlecodex.com/Articles/Home/Cars-Trucks-and-Automobiles/Saab’s-New-Range-of-Biofuel-Cars-143828.htm

Biodiesel Plant list

The latest biodiesel plant list with link to some plant websites. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/plant-list.jsp

Ethanol Plant list in America

Here is a link to the most recent ethanol plant listings. Many have links to their own websites. http://ethanolproducer.com/plant-list.jsp

Ethanol Production on the increase

The November issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine now lists 138 ethanol plants in production with a combined annual capacity of 7.271 billion gallons. There is also 142 biodiesel plants in production with a combined annual capacity of 1.780 billion gallons. That means we currently have a combined capacity of 8.99 billion gallons of biofuels which exceed the RFS requirement of 7.5 billion gallons by 2012.