What's taking ethanol cars so long to hit the market?

Answer 1

it's simple... Bush doesn't want them out on the market because he wouldn't get the money that he makes from the oil sales because oil is used to make gasoline.

Answer 2

Even with the government subsidizing ethanol very heavily and taxing gasoline highly (some may claim the oil companies have bribed our politicians to keep alternatives off the market, but they've got nothing compared to Archer Daniels Midland, the farming conglomerate that makes ethanol), ethanol still doesn't have a cost advantage on gasoline, and a flex-fuel car will get worse mileage running on ethanol than gasoline.

Actually, ethanol cars are pretty common, if not very noticable (my parents managed to buy a flex fuel minivan and didn't realize it could run on alcohol until several years later). It's the filling stations that are harder to find. Part of that comes from the fact that you can't ship ethanol through conventional gas pipelines.

Answer 3

The US subsidises the oil industry to the tune of more than
$6 billion dollars per year. Take away those subsidies and
maybe the cost of both fuels might be more equal and
the ethanol cars industry might become more marketable.

Answer 4

Simple answer is the basics of economics ( supply & demand ). The supply of fuel is not enough ( not enough places selling it) and the demand is not high enough ( people don't like the extra costs of higher price along with worse mileage). I own a e85 car and live in Iowa. I have only used e85 twice in 4 years. I get 20% worse mileage and the fuel typically costs almost the same or higher than regular unleaded.

Answer 5

What the #%&!! are you talking about?
Ethanol cars (a.k.a Flex-Fuel Vehicles) have been on the market for 10 YEARS !
There are already MILLIONS of them on the road!!!

(sorry, sorry, sorry..I don't mean to yell at you. I just get a little frustrated at people in general who have no knowledge about a subject near to my heart.)

If you go to http://e85fuel.com you will see what I'm talking about.
American manufacturers have been producing vehicles that can run on a fuel that is 85% ethanol & 15% gasoline since 1985.
Ford started producing Flex fuel vehicles in 1985.
(Ford owns Mazda & Mercury & they have had them, too)
Chrysler (who WAS then an American owned company, but since has been bailed out of bankrupcy by the US government, with my tax dollars, then sold to Daimler, a german company) started producing Flex-Fuel vehicles in 1998.
(and Mercedes-Benz has offered Flex-Fuel vhicles, after their parent company,Daimler, bought Chrysler)
And General Motors (the other American owned company) finally started producing Flex-Fuel vehicles in 2000.
The foreign auto companies are just now starting to produce Flex-fuel vehicles. Nissan in 2005
& I understand that now the other Japanese owned companies are trying to develop Flex-Fuel Vehicles
If you are waiting for a Japanese Flex-Fuel vehicle that can run on an American made fuel.....Well I'm afraid I'll have to give you a big "Thumbs Down"

Make no mistake, when you buy a car, regardless of what country it was assembled in, or where the contents of that vehicle came from, the profits go to the HOMELAND of the manufacturer.

(I better stop now or I'm gonna start yelling again)

Answer 6

I am not sure if you mean E 85 cars or not? Here in the midwest, our fuel already has 10 percent ethenol in it. Now from what I have heard, the e-85 isn't that good on mileage, so that may be another reason. Sure, its cheaper to buy the e 85 fuel, but if the mileage isn't there, what have you gained?

Answer 7

Oil prices have gone down so ethanol is too expensive to compete. This was intentional. The oil companies know what they are doing.

Answer 8

The government is too lazy to invest money on such a good resource that is safe for the environment. I wish they would get a move on and get this going to not only help the environment, but it will also give us cheaper prices on gas. Doesn't everyone like that idea?

Answer 9

Availability of product in allot of areas. There is maybe 2 in the whole state of Florida.

Answer 10

right now id say production cost,,and of course the oil company's aren't going to like it much when they do come out,,but i wish they would hurry up and come out,but they,ll be out before long and then we can all save some money maybe,,good luck hope this help,s.,,have a good x-mas.