[russ22k]

I see in the manual the use of 15% ethanol is allowed. My take on this is 15% ethanol 85% gas. E85 is 85% ethanol 15% gas. Am I correct in this assumption? If so, has anyone heard of future Hondas using E85?
Russ

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Your correct E85 is more ethanol than gasoline. It won't work in a car not equipped to correctly burn it and can damage those whose fuel systems aren't designed to withstand the alcohol corrosion problems.

AFAIK Honda does not make an E85 vehicle anywhere in the world. And definately not one in the US market.

IMO the biggest "problem" with alcohol blend fuels is that there's simply not enough acreage available. Even IF 100% of the available land was converted we couldn't get 50% of our daily gasoline consumption equivalent. But it would quickly "solve" the problem as food would rapidly become scarce. :/

And then there are the aldihide emissions that haven't even been addressed yet.

 

[kari]

IMO the biggest "problem" with alcohol blend fuels is that there's simply not enough acreage available. Even IF 100% of the available land was converted we couldn't get 50% of our daily gasoline consumption equivalent. But it would quickly "solve" the problem as food would rapidly become scarce. :/

And then there are the aldihide emissions that haven't even been addressed yet.

that's the problem with ethanol (and biodiesel) as it's being implemented now - corn is not the most efficient producer of ethanol (there are woody grasses that do much better) and NO bio-fuel is going to take over from gasoline without significant efficiency gains! sooner or later american car manufacturers will have to realize that 30 mpg will not be sufficient efficiency in the future (or even in the SUMMER, looks like)

/soapbox from your friendly local biofuels nerd.

 

[james]

30 mpg? When they're whining about having to meet something like a 22.5 mpg fleet average?

 

[b1shmu63]

There's a good project for an Insighter. Find out what systems and parts are corroded by ethanol and convert their vehicle. Perhaps this would be a good university class project? :idea:

 

[kari]

30 mpg? When they're whining about having to meet something like a 22.5 mpg fleet average?

I'm referring to all the billboards I've been passing that advertise 30 mpg as if it's an Amazing! Feat! of Efficiency!

edited to add:

There's a good project for an Insighter. Find out what systems and parts are corroded by ethanol and convert their vehicle. Perhaps this would be a good university class project? :idea:

insofar as I'm trying to recall from my grad work on benefit cost analyses of alternative fueled vehicles for university fleets, it's the parts that can dry out: things that are rubber, primarily. biodiesel has the same effect but to a lesser degree.

 

[redbug]

<<
30 mpg? When they're whining about having to meet something like a 22.5 mpg fleet average?
>>
:lol:

GM seems perfectly willing to tell its customers that merely by bolting a hybrid drive system to their existing vehicles, they'll somehow achieve amazing mileage numbers. With a little imagination I can just hear their 2008 ads now: ".. and our NEW Yukon Denali hybrid can tow a boat up a mountain, in 4-ft deep snow, while still getting 50mpg!!1"

Umm, no. For a 6,000-lb vehicle with all the aerodynamics of a Vermont dairy barn and a ton of rolling friction, it's just not possible to get that kind of fuel efficiency.

Which is why you've got to give Honda some mega-kudos for doing a complete redesign of the car (aka the Insight) to show how it can be done.