why is it taking so long for bio-fuels to become the standard for cars?

Question

how much land is required to grow enough grain to produce one litre of bio-fuel... and can cars run purely on bio-fuel yet, and if not, WHY?

Answer 1

because fuel companies are making too much money the way it is now.

Answer 2

Economically viable distribution system for biofuels are not in place.. The largest cost (next to taxes) for fuel is the system it's self.

Localization of biofuels is happening at a snails pace because it is a cost and the cost benefit is not a recoverable cost as the price as the pump is dependent on demand.

As an aside biofuel distribution and oil based fuel distribution requires different methods of processing and storage..

The problem is not the land for production.. Even now e85 is 85% Ethanol.. Soy Diesel is produced but the real "problem" is local (gas station storage) or a totally new distribution system.

People can retro fit or dual fit automobiles with a good mechanic to handle both fuels, or purchase a dual fuel or E85, LPG or LNG vehicle, yet, the fact that the economic incentives to drive these alternatives are not there yet. It takes more money to produce and distribute them then it does gasoline, simple economics..

Answer 3

Biofuels, which are technically "sustainable", can be grown pretty-much anywhere, but easiest in the warm wet tropics, where life and land are cheap. The biggest risk of biofuels is that vast tracts of already rapidly diminishing rainforest will be cleared to make way for an ecologically-sterile monoculture. This would result in environmental devastation. Then you have to transport the stuff thousands of miles to the markets. Therefore, biofuels, which might in some countries provide a local solution to energy supply, have a long way to go before becoming a global solution.

Answer 4

Brazil now has the infrastructure and automobiles to operate 30 percent of its vechicles on ethanol, a bio fuel made from sugar cane, corn, etc. Brazil, by most standards, is a relatively poor country. The midwest in the U.S. grows lots of corn. The U.S. is the richest country in the world by most standards.

So the answer to your question is not a technology or financial answer. Perhaps the politicians in this forum would like to take a crack at explaining why the U.S. remains dependent on foreign oil.

Answer 5

Currently it costs more and then at the same time people like their petro fuels. They still work and ppl won't change until there isn't any petro left. You also have to figure the price difference in the production of the fuels. TO make ethanol, more fuel is consumed than produced.

Answer 6

What EXACTLY do you think the advantages of biofuel are? Biofuel is expensive and generates huge amounts of CO2 from energy sources on the way.

Just because it has the word bio then all the environmentalists cheer about it blindly. WAKE UP OUT THERE

Answer 7

Because oil out of the ground was so cheap...
Would you pay $6 for a biofuel when you could pay $3
for a petroleum based fuel ?
Of course you would not...

Answer 8

Think of all the cars out there and all the gas stations out there. It is hard to switch over night. Takes time.

But keep promoting man.. keep promoting. Something needs to be done.

Answer 9

Am I the only one filling my car with Scotch Whiskey?
It's bleedin' cheaper than petrol.

Answer 10

It hasn't taken long it has already happened in Brazil.
Its probably just red tape holding up progress.