E85 FUEL Legislation

[GregWeld]

For you boys planning on running E85.... best have an alternative plan down the road.



Ethanol requirements for U.S. gasoline appear to be losing friends and influencing the wrong people, with calls growing to reform or scrap the government mandates altogether.
The Environmental Protection Agency in November proposed reducing the amount of renewable fuels, including corn-based ethanol, that oil refiners must blend with gasoline. The rule is a centerpiece of government efforts to curb carbon emissions, while jump-starting alternative forms of energy.

The draft rule would impact the 2014 requirement for renewables to fall between 15 billion and 15.52 billion gallons from 18.15 billion gallons. But the proposal to reduce ethanol requirements for 2014 has done little to quell the groundswell of complaints about the practical effects of using corn-based fuel in America's gasoline supply.

Earlier this month, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein joined forces with Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn to introduce a Senate bill to strip ethanol completely from the Renewable Fuel Standard, also known as RFS. Although Feinstein continues to champion renewable fuel, she has expressed concerns that excess corn-based fuel production—mainly due to the RFS requirements—is "really not wise," and that the standards may hurt the Golden State's livestock producers.

The bipartisan nature of that bill, combined with the EPA's proposal, sent corn futures reeling on the Chicago Board of Trade in early December.

[FETorino]

I am planning on running E85 but I never saw it as something that would be available without having to hunt for it. For instance right now I have to go 10mi in any one of three directions to an E85 station vs gas stations on every block.

I agree if you were planning on building a daily driver E85 car in the long run you may be disappointed. I wouldn't count it dead just yet we have to wait and see if the corn lobbyists kung fu is more powerful than the cow lobbyists kung fu.:lmao:

It is pretty popular on the race scene so I imagine VP will continue to sell it for a few years no matter what. In my case I built the motor to run on pump so a carb swap and tweaking of the timing would get me back to gas.

[INTMD8]

Mine will be flex fuel so E85 isn't necessary but I would prefer it. So much invested in infrastructure around this fuel so I would be surprised if it dissapears completely but who knows

[Musclerodz]

Never liked the idea of E85 from the beginning and using corn to make it. There are far better resources that could have been used. Natural gas is what I have always believed should be the next generation fuel source. The issue is there was no infrastructure for it, but that is changing quickly.

[WSSix]

x2 E85 is right there with wind power. It only survives and is "viable" because of massive government subsidies and requirements that artificially inflate it's demand.

[ironworks]

Maybe now the dairy guys will be able to by feed for their cattle at a cheaper price.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Creating fuel from a food source was such a bad idea when you have so many alternatives out there. Algae, waste methane, natural gas and other.

[rwhite692]

Never liked the idea of E85 from the beginning and using corn to make it. There are far better resources that could have been used. Natural gas is what I have always believed should be the next generation fuel source. The issue is there was no infrastructure for it, but that is changing quickly.


Absolutely!

[SSLance]

I think the 6 years or so of subsidizing the ethanol industry is enough, it's time to see if it can stand on it's own.

This coming from someone with skin in the game.

[Che70velle]

Unless I'm reading this wrong, which is totally possible, this will affect all ethanol based fuels, not just E85, correct? Which means that fuel prices will see another increase? I can purchase non-ethanol fuel, but it generally costs .30 cents or so, more per gallon. This is bad news for everybody, in so many ways.

[Sparks67]

Unless I'm reading this wrong, which is totally possible, this will affect all ethanol based fuels, not just E85, correct? Which means that fuel prices will see another increase? I can purchase non-ethanol fuel, but it generally costs .30 cents or so, more per gallon. This is bad news for everybody, in so many ways.

The price for gas in Georgia is lower than the rest of the country. Currently, I am around .40 cents higher than you.

[Xplosiv]

They cant decide what they want to do fuel wise. My car is dual mapped tune (91/E85) while I agree that using corn as a fuel source probably isnt the best idea, it's widely available here and my car runs like a raped ape on the E tune. Oklahoma just recently went through a deal (other states as well) where we can no longer get 100% 87 octane, so now our E85 blends are blended with 100% 91 octane and E100. As of this morning, E10 87 was $2.87/gal and E85 was $2.97/gal. I daily drive my car on E. Ill have to do some research as a backup plan because I hate the way the car runs on 91 octane.

[Flash68]

Like Rob said, E85 is available from the race fuel suppliers but it's about as expensive, if not more, than race gas so that's about a wash. I was kinda backed into it instead of using 100+ octane due to the parts I had and combustion chamber "issues" with making it low compression for pump, so it is what it is. Worst case, if these E85 stations do all close, it's back to race gas for me.

[Vegas69]

Greg, I thought pro touring cars ran on pump gas?:peepwall:

To bad, about all Monsanto corn is good for is fuel. ha ha

[Darrell]

Ethanol can't go away fast enough,corn costs have been very hard on my business.2014 is looking up :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Xplosiv]

Greg, I thought pro touring cars ran on pump gas?:peepwall:

To bad, about all Monsanto corn is good for is fuel. ha ha



E85 is pump gas in OK :secret:

[INTMD8]

Back to the top for some E85 love.

2014 ZL1 camaro with heads/cam/headers/pulleys/induction.

Fuel composition sensor so it is a true flex fuel vehicle. Dump in E85, fueling automatically compensates and adds timing VS alcohol percentage. Works out nice!

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/713/b3tb.jpg

[BMR Sales]

Creating fuel from a food source was such a bad idea when you have so many alternatives out there. Algae, waste methane, natural gas and other.

Agreed! Corn Farmers asked for help and we have been Subsidizing it. Now that Droughts have wrecked havoc across the Country, things have changed.

Switchgrass would have been the Ideal Source - the yield per acre is huge, doesn't take that much water to grow, etc.