IA_F150

I very much appreciate the info guys!

XPerties

...and just to add since I haul gas to local stations in Jersey and PA:

Most gas has 8.9-9.1% ethanol.

Not sure if that matters to anyone but figured I would put it out there.

CrashTECH

Independent or are Co. driver? Who's gas do you haul?

XPerties

Company driver. We deliver to Sunocos, Wawa, Country Farms, some BP's (but our company has been withdrawing from those due to harassment drivers are getting), Valeros and Amoco's. We also do straight ethanol to terminals and Jet fuel.

GATORB8

Has anyone done a comparison on MPG's between 87 E10 and 87 w/ no ethanol in their 5.4?

NashBulldawg

Not totally scientific but in nashville my 87 gas is a E10 but on the weekends at my lakehouse the stations up there have no ethanol gas and i always fill it up there. I would say i get about 15 - 20 more miles per tank than E10. But thats a 27 gallon tank so its really a very small diff.

GATORB8

So that probably translates to a 6% or less increase in MPGs. The few stations that have gas with no ethanol here are wanting a 10%+ premium for it.

NashBulldawg

Im heading up there this afternoon, im almost out so i will have to fill up again when i get up there. I'll write down my total milage with E10 before i fill up with pure Gas. I'll post back what difference i see. The stations here do not have any increase in price for 0%E gas.

CrashTECH

Don't know where you'll find ethanol free gasoline...

CrashTECH

Ethanol is ~40% less energy dense.

http://www.intota.com/docs/ethanol-pollution.asp
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/altern...3/article.html

So E10 is 10% ethanol. Assume 20mpg to make the numbers easy...

20 miles on gasoline / gallon
12 miles on ethanol / gallon

.1 gallons of ethanol goes for 1.2 miles
.9 gallons of gasoline goes for 18.0 miles

1 Gallon of E10 takes you 1.2 + 18 = 19.2 miles.
19.2 * 30 gallons = 576
vs
20.0 * 30 gallons = 600

576/600 = 96%

Flip to E85:
.15 gallons of gasoline = 3 miles
.85 gallons of ethanol = 10.2

= 13.2 mpg!

13.2*30=396
396/600 = 66%!

To break even, you need to get E-85 for your flex fuel at 66% less per gallon. ($3 / gallon, means E-85 has to be $1.98)