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.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Indy Racing League tech director said cars can get better mileage on E100 than gasoline; engine optimization is the issue

In Indiana, Indy Racing League Senior Technical Director Les McTaggert told Hoosier Ag Today that with modifications to compression, and the elimination of unneeded horsepower, cars would achieve the ...

Improve e85 mileage 20 percent with high-flow fuel injectors, says publisher

e85prices.com publisher Dan McCullough said that the 10-30 percent loss in mileage with E85 stems from flex-fuel engines that are optimized for gasoline, and said that by installing higher-flow fuel i...

Ford advancing with Bobcat twin-fuel engine, using ethanol to boost engine efficiency, power, mileage

In Michigan, Ford made presentations to the Department of Energy and the Society of Automotive Engineers to update them on its development of a twin-fuel engine, code named Bobcat. Unlike flex-fuel en...

Ethanol could be blended with low-cost 84-octane fuel to reduce gas prices: Missouri official

In Missouri, a lab manager in the state Division of Weights and Measures said that Missouri's E10 mandate is providing customers with 89 octane fuel, because of ethanol's higher octane rating, and tha...

Wisconsin business selling self-install E85 conversion kits, for $269-$699

In Wisconsin, Drive Flex Fuel is now marketing self-installable E85 conversion kits. The company makes kits for cars, trucks, boats and all-terrain vehicles, and are sold through the www.driveflexfuel...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Anhydrous ethanol was not designed as a fuel”

Bobby Fontaine in cannazine: "There are two types of ethanol – anhydrous and hydrous. Brazil has used hydrous ethanol. We use anhydrous ethanol. Anhydrous ethanol was not designed as a fuel. It was ...