Summary
The article is true to its point. The use of E10 or 10% ethanol versus 90% gasoline, may consume more petroleum. But if I would like to drive an alternative fuel vehicle, that vehicle will use more of the alternative fuel E85 or 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline.
Analysis
Simple science. Petroleum based products, such as gasoline are made of long strings of molecules called polymers ("poly" for many, and "mer" for the basic hydrocarbon molecule, many - "mers"). Alcohol products like ethanol are singular molecules with an "OH" or alcohol (Oxygen and Hydrogen) molecule attached to each one individually.
As we all know , oxygen is needed for combustion, so any increase in oxygen will increase the likelihood of fire. By blending ethanol with petroleum we increase the explosive capacity of the fuel. Bear in mind we also see increased instantaneous output. Hence Drag Racers and other NASCAR events use alcohol in their engines, to make their cars go quicker.
So the author of this article is absolutely correct, E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) blend may cause decreased gas mileage and increased emissions. Indeed this also may apply to E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) blends. Driver will definitely observe different mile per gallon between petroleum based fuels and ethanol based fuels.
However, with all that said though, we must keep in mind that the engines used in automobiles today were designed to run and operate on petroleum based products. From compression ratios, to the size of the pistons, the revolutions of the engines down to the size of the little holes injecting fuel into the engines, petroleum was the fuel they were constructed to maximize their output to the wheels.
Until a completely redesigned engine, based on ethanol as the primary fuel is made, those anomalies will continue. SCANA is the only company I am aware of that is actively building a ethanol only engine.
The automotive industry, Ford, GM, Chevrolet, have massive capital investments in production lines based on these existing petroleum based engines. So as a necessity they have done their best to help create a paradigm shift from fossil fuel based automobiles to alternative fuel ones the best they can. What they have done is taken existing petroleum based engines and tweaked them so that they will run on ethanol fuels, this is their Flex Fuel option.
Until a truly ethanol based fuel engine is designed and mass manufactured there will always be these kind of anomalies with efficiency differences, maintenance issues, and variations in greenhouse gas emissions.
This author consults with leading institutions through GLG
Analyses are solely the work of the authors and have not been edited or endorsed by GLG.
