Hello E15, how are you?

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http://content.usatoday.com/communities/...-from-10-now-/1

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Environmental Protection Agency announced it now will allow up to 15% ethanol to be blended with gasoline in motor fuel -- but only for use in cars and trucks built since 2007.

The current allowable limit is 10%, and remains so for older vehicles, all motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles and non-road engines (everything from leaf blowers to motorboats).

That sets up potential confusion at the gas pump, since buyers could have choose not octane ratings but also between E-10 and E-15 based end use. And while E-10 now is fairly common, stations are not required to offer it or the new E-15 -- and some already say they are going to sit out E-15 for now.

The move does not affect special E-85 fuel -- an 85% ethanol/gas blend not considered gasoline at all -- that already allowed by the EPA. E-85, sold mostly in the Midwest, can only be used in a vehicle designed as "flex fuel" to take the higher concentration of more-corrosive ethanol without damage.

The EPA is expected to expand the E-15 OK to vehicles built since 2001 when additional testing is finished next month. The Obama administration made the move with elections a month away and political pressure heavy for approval. Most ethanol is made from corn in this country and farm states have strongly pushed for the government to promote more use of it.

But a broad group of otherwise strange bedfellows -- from auto, motorcycle and gas-engine makers (used in everything from leaf blowers to boats) to environmentalists, cattle ranchers, food companies and a broad coalition of others. Why the push back:

Engine makers fear damage. Other opponents argue that growing more corn and using it for ethanol makes animal feed (and thus meat) costly and inflates supermarket prices for the wide range of foods containing corn products.

Environmentalists see it as bad use of land and a promotion of wasteful, energy-intensive agriculture.

But the Obama administration has said it still supports the renewable fuel and the EPA is under a rural state-promoted congressional mandate to increase ethanol use. Congress required fuel refiners to blend 36 billion gallons of biofuels, mostly ethanol, into auto fuel by 2022 and the EPA says it can't be done without allowing at least an E-15 blend.

The ethanol industry group Growth Energy petitioned the EPA earlier this year to allow E-15. The decision has been delayed twice as the EPA and Energy Department did more testing.

The Obama administration's decision to allow E-15 is a win for the ethanol industry as it faces losing its generous government subsidies. A key tax credit is to expire Dec. 31 and there's been opposition in Congress to renewing it.

-- Fred Meier/Drive On


I am not thrilled.
 
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Nor am I.

I'm glad E15 is not mandatory. That way, all we have to do is boycott the stations that offer it...
 
Not thrilled about the bit where the EPA says "We're looking into back specing cars. Ignore the owner's manuals."

As mine specifically states not to use a blend of more than 10% ethanol.
 
surprise.gif
 
Originally Posted By: cryption
Let's just pay farmers not to grow crops like the good ol days instead of finding bad uses for corn.


Whoa now! Are you suggesting some kind of free market economy? What next? Only allowing people who contribute something to society to vote?
 
Maybe it shouldn't be called Gasoline anymore when it contains 15% alcohol.
 
This will have the effect of driving lots of good older cars off the roads into junkyards with corroded fuel systems that will cost a lot to repair. Plus it'll reduce the fleet fuel economy average even further. Just what we need, to rape our own land with pesticides, drain our own aquifers, and end up importing more oil from countries who'd love to see us wiped off the map.

Thanks, corn lobby!
 
Are you really that surprised though? This is the same administration that thought this was not only acceptable, but also a good idea:


-Techniker
 
Will the EPA adjust our vehicle fuel mileage ratings negatively again?

I don't understand the mentality in making our fuel less efficient.
 
Originally Posted By: QuOk
Maybe it shouldn't be called Gasoline anymore when it contains 15% alcohol.
agreed
 
Dear EPA, Corn Lobby, and other Gubbermen,

Knock that [excrement] off.

Make E-85 widely availiable for those who want corn based fuels and have Flex-Fuel vehicles. Make E0 availiable for the rest of us who do not want corrosive and less efficient fuel.

Thanks,
The People.
 
I like that line...

"We're looking into back specing cars. Ignore the owner's manuals."

Ignore the owner's manual = voiding a new car warranty....resulting in a loss of money for the vehicle purchaser, if the warranty must be persued.....and resulting in more money for hte U.S. government to use their taxed corn-fuel.....


Nah I'll pass.
 
As an aside. Does anyone know if additive like Marvel Mystery Oil or Lucas Fuel additive help in any way concerning the alcohol in your gas tank? I've heard since they are kind of lubricants that putting in 2oz's per tank would help the corroding issues. Is this true?
 
STA-BIL Marine formula states that it is the, "BEST ethanol problem fighter."

I haven't seen anything to back that claim up but that is what they are stating.
 
So how are they going to separate the E15 from the regular gas? Are they going to retrofit every gas station with a fourth button for E15? Most have one nozzle and then three buttons. 87 89 and 93. At least in my area. Then of course a second nozzle just for diesel.
 
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Originally Posted By: QuOk
Maybe it shouldn't be called Gasoline anymore when it contains 15% alcohol.
Vodkaline.. Do you want Vaseline with that?
 
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