WDRacing wrote:
I am not retarded, just realistic. I love the idea of the stuff, and to be honest, if I could find E55 then I would run it, maybe even E85. But the fact that I cannot find it makes this whole conversation theoretical. Also, it would have to be economic. Here is Pitt, we have E15, and I run it all of the time. Why? Because 89 octance is cheaper than 87 octane. Also, since it is such a low concentration of Ethanol it IMPROVES mileage on cars that run rich.
I am just saying that an E85 future looks great, but it isn't in the US just yet. I find the arguement slightly less useless then the discussions over Hydrogen (which is 50-100 years out, at best). Basically, people have been talking about using Ethanol since the first Oil Chrisis, but when the price of gas went down/availability went up, support all but dried up. As we all know, history repeats itself.
That time Arabs were to blame, and this time they may not be, but the result will be the same, we are talking about something that is another 10-15 years out, if we are lucky.
You and I (and everyone else in here) knows this will happen, the question is when. The answer to that question is when the $G > or = $E * .8. That is, when the price of gasoline is greater than or equal to the price of Ethanol minus the expected economy loss of 20%. It will not happen a day sooner. This may be through improvements in process, or more likely, when the cost of fuel becomes unreasonable. Why would the oil companies or anyone else for that matter spend money researching improvements in Ethanol production when Gasoline is cheaper.
Humans are not a group of people to be proactive, as a rule. I do not know what would be different about this situation, unless either the price of Gasoline becomes an issue, or the EPA's emissions regs become so stringent that it can no longer be done without Alcohol.
The reason you all even know about this (with the exception of Swedish Mike) is because the media has been making a big deal of it, in a rather uniformed way. The reason you see it in Cali is because of new regs requiring the removal of MTBE from fuel, and the need for a new 'oxygen adder'.
WD, I understand that you are new to the topic, but try to be more realistic. It is good that people are getting on board, but it will take more than that. If this is something you are TRULY ready for, then put your money where your mouth is. Buy more expensive fuel ($.75 to the gallon more in most places with a 20% decrease in mileage, remind you), and/or donate money to research more cost effective ways to produce it. Otherwise, everyone here is just blowing smoke.
If you still think my point retarded, feel free to Hasselhoff me.