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May 14, 2008 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

It’s not the fuel, it’s the compression: E85 vs gasoline mileage revisted

Researchers are indicating that E85 can achieve the same or better fuel economy than conventional gasoline with cars featuring high compression engine (between 11 and 14:1), a $32 spark plug upgrade, a $55 change in air filters and a fuel filter replacement.  “Believe it or not, high-compression engines of the late ’60s, with compression ratios up to 12.5:1, had higher thermal efficiencies that many of today’s engines,” says tprmag.com.
Compressions were lowered in the late 1960s when lead was removed from gasooline because 87-93 octane fuels cannot handle higher compressions , but 105-octane rated ethanol achieves its best results at 60s style compression ratios. Aside from wasting up to 20% in fuel costs for drivers, reduced fuel economy is one of the primary barriers to entry for E85.

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