The Fatal Flaw...

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by Rmay635703
I've run e15+ On and off since 2001 when it first showed up on the market .

All my cars run better on higher octane and when I've tested e0 regular I really can't find any significant fuel economy difference.

Lately e15 has been running over 20 cents a gallon cheaper (a few weeks ago 30 cents a gallon cheaper)

Economically it's well worth paying less and having more smooth power and no noticeable change in economy.

(Folks better get your comments in, when I post there is usually a thread lock coming

If e15 was 20 or more cents cheaper here, I'd be running it. But one of the stations likes to make their e15 1 cent cheaper than the other 2 stations regular e10, and mark their regular e10 up about 5 cents.

 

[Rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Skippy722

If e15 was 20 or more cents cheaper here, I'd be running it. But one of the stations likes to make their e15 1 cent cheaper than the other 2 stations regular e10, and mark their regular e10 up about 5 cents.


Around here there are two stations that seem to be competing and have done so for years.

A Kwik Trip that has e15 for $2.30 when most every other station is $2.5x-2.6x for e10. (KT also has e0 and e10 at much higher prices)

Woodmans up to e10 is sometimes cheaper than kwik trips e15, other times it's merely competitivish with the e10.

I buy whichever is cheapest, sometimes the e15 is only a couple cents less than Woodmans in which case I fill up wherever is most convenient at the moment I need to fill (never worth a special trip to save a few cents on gas , even though it's 2 blocks)

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by DGXR
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
How do you know they can't run E15?

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Right, but we don't know if your manual says that because the automaker only tested E10 and E85. Make sense?

You sound pretty confident... so you should run E15 for 10 years in your "E10 only" (per the manual) vehicle and let us know how it goes.
I'm unwilling to be a guinea pig although that is the direction we are headed, **without a choice** It sounds like many others are also unwilling... are you saying we are all crazy for reading, and wanting to follow, the owner's manual?


I'm confident to take a wait and see approach. Logically speaking do you think the the US Govt would instantly invalidate the warranty on something like 80 percent of the fleet nationwide?

 

[bbhero]

I don't think the govt gives a hoot about 80 percent of the vehicles on the road.... Remember the avg age of vehicles on the road in this country is about 11 years old. And there are many, many people who would want to get rid of the "old" technology vehicles off the roads.

 

[jakewells]

There is a 12 cent difference between E0 and E10. I will continue to spend 12 cents more per gallon on ethanol free.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by jakewells
There is a 12 cent difference between E0 and E10. I will continue to spend 12 cents more per gallon on ethanol free.


Here it's a 60 cent spread.

 

[Olas]

Sunoco, VP, Penta and Elf all sell E0 fuel.

Or add water & shake, wait for separation and drain it out.
Go to a marina
Go to an airfield

replace rubber fuel lines and run whatever you want.


it's really not a problem and nobody is being forced to do anything - it's just market forces in action.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by jakewells
There is a 12 cent difference between E0 and E10. I will continue to spend 12 cents more per gallon on ethanol free.


Here it's a 60 cent spread.


Yeah, it's roughly a 30 cent spread in my area.

No one is going to be forced to use E15. The only thing that is going on is changing the Federal regulations so that it can be sold year round everywhere. Retailers have to also deal with the regulation that it is a Federal offense to introduce E15 into a vehicle of MY2001 or older. Very few stations are going to either put in another tank for E15 or ditch their E10 and fill the tank with E15 and be an E15 only station. Only new stations or those being renovated would make the investments to make the change, and only those that have blender pumps in place now would offer E15, since it is a matter of blending at the pump. The big problem with most folks regarding this issue is two fold.... they don't understand business economics and they have an enlarged paranoia gland.

Only seven states require ethanol laced gasoline be sold by all retailers, and even some of those do not require a full E10 or even year round. That is not going to change with the EPA opening up the regulations for E15 to be sold year round. Since all vehicles being made in the last 30 years can deal with E10, most stations have done the total switch to E10 and not bother with a tank for E0. But this is not going to be the case for E15 except in narrow circumstances.

I primarily use E85. It is a matter of whether to use 100 octane E85 or 93 octane premium in a GDI engine with 11.2:1 compression ratio. No brainer. Premium is going for about $3 in my are and E85 is going for $1.87. Premium is not going to improve fuel economy enough to offset the $1.13 cost difference. So I really have no dog in the E15 hunt. I've gone beyond the problem and it is a non issue for me.