Why is America dragging its feet in trying to become OIL INDEPENDENT by coverting to ethanol vehicles?

Answer 1

1. Ethanol is way more expensive per Joule than gasoline.
2. Ethanol has less energy in it, ethanol cars get half the mileage.
3. Ethanol is too volatile. A lot of it evaporates in transit and during fueling.

Answer 2

Probably the largest reason is that the oil industry has embraced and is actively funding the promotion of a pair of discredited scientists that argue that ethanol takes more energy to produce than what is in the final product. It isn't true, they have been fully disproven over and over again, but people only hear the loudest voice. In this case it isn't the scientific community.

For example the critics of ethanol claim corn has huge irrigation costs and usage of energy. In the US around 16% of corn is irrigated. Very little of that corn ends up being converted to ethanol. So the huge amount of energy used in irrigation for corn doesn't exsist.

So ethanol carries this ugly reputation that has no proof behind it.

Answer 3

Even though they very well could be dragging their feet intentionally, I do know that it takes time to plan, design, and have a plant tooled to make new cars. I think the process will start off slow, as it has, with hybrids, cross-overs, with vehicles that can run on unleaded AND E85 for awhile. There aren't that many places that sell E85 right now, anyway. And that may not be the way we eventually go. Different people are working on alternative fuels, and so the manufacturers may be waiting to see which way the future is going.

Answer 4

Money. Right now the government is subsidizing the production of ethanol. But they get tax revenue from oil.
We need to get the production of ethanol to be efficient enough to pay for its self before any major change.

Answer 5

If you noticed during the great alternative fuel speech GW gave not to long back, there was no mention of Bio Diesel. Could it be there's no petroleum product in it? Maybe I'll ask that question later, just to see what funny heads pop up.

Answer 6

Because ethanol burns too hotly to work in any current street legal combustion engines. I don't know how efficient it would be, but it seems Bio-diesel is a much better solution right now.

Answer 7

In short, the reason America is slow on alternative energy policies is money. Energy companies expend vast quantities of lobby money to slow down alternative fuels.

Answer 8

Because oil zillionaires are in the White House.

Answer 9

Short-sighted and fearful politicians mostly. What politician wants to "rock the boat" by annoying the deep pockets that fund their careers?

Answer 10

To answer that question, just ask for a list of contributers to the election campaign funds of your elected officials.

Nuf said.