How long will it be til the U.S. switches totally from gasoline to ethinol? Is it really the cost a lot or is it being prevented by gas companies so they can make a ton of money?
2006-08-21 13:32:44 · 11 answers · asked by korines 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
Ethanol alone can not be used to run in present day combustion engines so it is not just the cost and greed, although more ethanol could be used in Australia than the current legal mixture.
2006-08-21 13:39:26 · answer #1 · answered by StatIdiot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The cost per mile for corn-based ethanol is considerably higher than gasoline. And more fossil fuel BTUs are burned in the production of a gallon of corn-based ethanol than is realized in the ethanol so it's a waste both ecologically and as far as oil dependancy goes.
Brazil has converted to ethanol made from sugar cane. The tailings from the process are burned to run the ethanol plant. Zero fossil fuel is used in the production of cane-based ethanol in Brazil.
Unfortunately the US cannot produce enough sugar cane to meet the demand for ethanol in the US. There is a plant-based fuel that the US could switch to almost immediately that would meet our needs currently and far into the future. That's soy-based biodiesel.
We'd have to switch over to diesel vehicles to do this but the technology is in place today to make the switch. As a bonus, the exhaust from a bio-diesel fueled vehicle smells like french fries or microwave popcorn! No more stinky city busses!
The oil companies will still have plenty of work to do refining and de-waxing the soy oil to make it fit to run in diesel engines as well as the use of their pipeline systems for distribution. The ones that get on the bandwagon will be the winners and those that slack off will either die off or be bought out by industry leaders.
2006-08-21 20:54:14 · answer #2 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It wont be in your lifetime. I know it is politically correct to badmouth the big oil companies but if you really had any idea what your quality of life would be like with out oil and the thousands of products that are made from oil you wouldn't be complaining so much. There is a change happening right now where vehicles that are designed to run on it can use E85 ethanol which of course is 85% ethanol. It is a very corrosive fuel and cars and trucks have to be specially designed to run on it. They can also run the regular gas until more E85 is available.
2006-08-21 20:53:38 · answer #3 · answered by Captleemo 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Before everyone jumps on the E85 Bandwagon, here are some facts.
1 E85 takes a lot more energy to produce. This means it will cost you more to buy it.
2. Gas Mileage stinks, expect up to 30% reduction in MPG.
3. the OL is an alcohol which eats the components of today's regular vehicles. unless your vehicle is a flexible fuel or"green" car. Go to a dealer and ask to see a flexible fuel cars MPG stats. You'll look at a Hybrid first.
2006-08-21 20:49:45 · answer #4 · answered by Uncle Red 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I don't think the switch will be for a long time!
I also believe this is about money...there are enough oil reserves in the USA alone to take care of all our oil deficiencies...the only problem is that the EPA won't allow us to drill anymore, because they are afraid of killing the animals around them
Some people did a study, and actually discovered that the animals did better with the refineries because of the added heat they provided...So, I say SCREW the EPA...let's drill!
Also, they were worried that the oil wells would dry up and be useless, but "magically" they have refilled themselves...so that theory is down the drain too!
But that is just my opinion
2006-08-21 20:43:56 · answer #5 · answered by yoohoosusie 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Ethanol is not the magic bullet people make it out to be. It takes almost as much energy to make ethanol as is in the fuel itself meaning ethanol isn't a cheap as people think.
Producing ethanol from corn is not very energy efficient. If we used every ear of corn produced in the entire united states during a given year for ethanol production it would only meet 30% of our fuel needs.
Plus, ethanol can't be transported using the existing oil pipelines. This basically means it can only be carried by tanker truck or by train which is also very inefficient.
The only real positive quality of the fuel is that it is a renewable resource.
2006-08-21 20:53:11 · answer #6 · answered by lepninja 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's a big switch really. So maybe, a couple of decades. You just need the bigger car companies to start making more models of cars that can use ethanol , then you need to wait for the market to stop buying normal cars and then buy into ethanol using cars.
I'd say, it would take...39 years?...but thats when it starts, it has to start first.
2006-08-21 20:39:55 · answer #7 · answered by plstkazn 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Notin our life time. But it is likely that we will see more ethanol plants opening up and higher percentages of it added to our fuel. The goal seems to be extending the supply of oil rather than independance from it.
2006-08-21 20:40:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Ethenol actually cost more to produce than it does gasoline. Until we can find a cheaper way to produce it, it will take a backseat to gasoline.
2006-08-21 20:39:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Brazil is well along. Corruption will not allow it here. It is a disgrace that many states don't have it. But what will it do to the price iof food?
2006-08-21 20:40:59 · answer #10 · answered by helixburger 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋