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Feds punt on E15 waiver decision, want to test ethanol's effect on more cars

There is some ethanol in almost all of the gasoline sold in the U.S. Usually, this amount is no more than 10 percent of the total and, if it's more than that, it jumps all the way to 85 percent and is sold as E85. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was supposed to come down on one side or the other today of a possible increase across the board to 15 percent that Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers asked for, but instead announced that it needs more time. The EPA has been looking at the E15 issue all year and investigating all ... Read more →

Six UK teens rushed to hospital after drinking ethanol Sebastian Blanco

Ethanol can be used in ICE engines, can be made from renewable resources and, depending on whether it's been denatured or not, can technically be drunk. John McCain's 2007 joke aside, this is a bad ...

Ethanol will get you free parking at Vikings games, sort of Sebastian Blanco

Here's the problem with flex-fuel vehicles. Also known at E85-capable, flexfuel rides can burn straight gasoline or a gasoline/ethanol blend that is up to 85 percent ethanol. But, since they don't ...

Kansas newspapers calls for end to ethanol subsidy Sam Abuelsamid

It's no secret that ethanol is a controversial fuel. There are numerous arguments against the use of corn-derived alcohol as a fuel, both economic and environmental. The federal and some state ...

Coskata's new Lighthouse cellulosic ethanol plant, in depth Sebastian Blanco

Coskata's newly-opened semi-commercial flex ethanol facility in Madison, Pennsylvania is as small as it can possibly be. Co-located at a Westinghouse facility that also in some fashion uses ...

CleanFlex Power System finds a way to burn ethanol in diesel engines 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Diesel engines like to burn diesel fuel. Most, especially older ones, will also run just fine on biodiesel. But ethanol? You can't put ethanol in a diesel engine, right? According to National Corn Growers Association chairman and Nebraska corn farmer Bob Dickey, there actually is a way to mix ...

REPORT: Bentley to delay flex-fuel capability for 2010 Continental Supersports 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

While the environmental merits of any 621 horsepower, twelve-cylinder behemoth that's capable of traveling at speeds of up to 204 miles per hour are, at the very least, debatable, Bentley hasn't exactly been shy about touting the green angle of its upcoming 2010 Continental Supersports. Add ...

Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

When we spoke with American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton at the Detroit Auto Show last January he revealed that discussions were being held between the series and parties interested in racing with a new fuel. At the time he declined to reveal the nature of the fuel but expected to announce ...

Drunk on the power output? Bugatti Galibier concept runs on ethanol 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

After months of speculation, Bugatti has finally pulled the wraps off its new four-door supercar concept just ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show at an event for past customers and Bugatti-intenders. Up to this point, we've been referring to the French über-sedan as the Bordeaux, but it seems ...

Dakar 2010: Klever Kolberg goes ethanol with UNICA's help 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

The 2009 Dakar Rally was won by a pair of diesel-powered Touareg TDIs. The oil-burners will face a new type of competition in the 2010 Dakar race thanks to a new ethanol-powered vehicle category. For the first time in the rally's 31-year history, a flex-fuel vehicle – a Mitsubishi Pajero ...

VIDEO: The real reason for the failure of ethanol? Bad marketing! 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Over the last forty years, corn growers and automakers have repeatedly tried to convince America that ethanol was the solution to our ever growing thirst for petroleum. After all, we could just keep growing our own corn, distilling it into alcohol and pouring it in our tanks and say goodbye to ...

Frankfurt Preview: Saab 9-5 wil come with five engine options 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

The new Saab 9-5 sedan that's coming to the Frankfurt Motor Show in a few weeks features a lot of snazzy interior upgrades – heads-up display, adaptive cruise control and lighting and tri-zone air conditioning, to name just three – but will also be offered with a range of engine ...

Watermelon juice - the next great automotive fuel? 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Corn as a source for ethanol has its problems. While there are a number of backers, there are real issues that need to be addressed, including (but not necessarily limited to) the huge amount of corn required to brew large batches of the alcohol fuel and the large quantities of water needed in the ...

Why is there ethanol in gasoline? 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Today, we take another look at ethanol for our weekly Greenlings post. You've probably noticed that many vehicles are labeled with a Flex Fuel badge from the manufacturer, indicating that the car or truck is capable of running safely on E85 – a blend of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent ...

VIDEO: Lazareth creates an E85-powered, 500-horsepower quad 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

French automobile and motorcycle builder Lazareth has managed to shoehorn an entire BMW V12 engine into one of his crazy Wazuma quad-like machines. Admittedly, there isn't much that's environmentally friendly about a 500-horsepower supercharged V12 engine from BMW that's powering a rather large ...

Congressional Republicans call out Stephen Chu for flex-fuel vehicle remarks 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Six Republican members of Congress have taken issue with DOE head Stephen Chu's call for all American vehicles to be E85-capable. Chu – who once said that ethanol, as it is made today, "is not the right crop for biofuels" – suggested the increase in flex-fuel availability during a ...

Does the government know if ethanol cars qualify for Cash-For-Clunkers? 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

AutoblogGreen reader Michael recently sent in a question regarding the about-to-start "Cash for Clunkers" program. Officially known as the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), the program allows owners of some older and inefficient vehicles to trade them in and get a rebate check worth up to ...

Ethanol-free gas a hot seller in Florida 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

While ethanol blended into gasoline can be a comparative good deal (or a possible scam), there's also good money to be made ignoring the biofuel altogether. At least, that's the case for two gas stations in Brevard County, Florida that proudly sell ethanol-free gasoline. The driving force for the ...

Obama responds to governors' biofuels concerns 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Presidents and biofuels. Seems to be a theme today. Back in February, the Governors' Biofuels Coalition sent a letter to President Obama asking for a stronger ethanol position, specifically asking that the national blend be increased to E13 and that the government consider promoting the ...

Bill Clinton: don't destroy the forest to make ethanol 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

During the big Ethanol Summit 2009 down in Brazil this week, former President Clinton gave a bit of advice to that country's ethanol industry: don't destroy so much forest land just to make biofuel. Clinton said that "everybody" already knows that Brazilian ethanol made from sugar cane is the most ...

Sign of the times: Ethanol almost 40 cents cheaper than gas 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Driving around mid-Michigan over the weekend, I couldn't help but notice how much gas prices have jumped in the last few weeks. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas has jumped up 50 cents in the past month to $2.50. Well, this is a good time to have a flex-fuel ...

One lucky Hoosier gets ethanol, wins the lottery 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Don't say ethanol never paid off for anyone. Summitville, Indiana resident Pamela Smith stopped off to buy E85 earlier this month and dropped a few bucks into the Indiana lottery. Luck was with her, and she won the $2.5 million Hoosier Lotto jackpot. "I was looking for Ethanol gas," Smith in a ...

Ugly watermelons = ethanol opportunity 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

America, your apparent hatred for disfigured fruit means we may have a big, untapped biomass source to make ethanol. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Oklahoma has been testing ways to make the simple sugars found in watermelons into ethanol, and the USDA is now reporting some success on that ...

Corn ethanol subsidies getting the pro/con debate in Kansas 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

The debate over corn ethanol, and the federal government's strong support for the biofuel, is being debated across the U.S. Everything from the potential cost for damaged fuel systems to the possible Federal push for E15 is in the news. The discussion has even hit deep into corn country, where the ...

EPA: let's talk about that E15 raise a little longer 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking into what might happen to the environemnt if the maximum level of ethanol mixed into the national liquid fuel supply is increased from 10 percent (where it is today) to 15. This is raising all sorts of issues, as we've pretty much described to ...

"Great ethanol scam" can easily cost you $1,000, says BW 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

The undeniable shift towards E15 continues, but not everyone is liking it. Business Week's Ed Wallace has collected a series of anecdotes that shows what he calls the "unpublicized trend" of ethanol destroying fuel systems in America's cars even without the increase to E15. A lot of mechanics are ...

GM: Mascoma ethanol process works as promised in laboratory testing 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Back in February, Mascoma opened its first pilot plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol. According to General Motors, which invested in Mascoma and its unique method for producing the alcohol, Mascoma's consolidated bioprocessing process has proven successful in a laboratory environment. ...

Study: better to burn biomass to power electric cars than to make ethanol 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

Corn ethanol promoters, get out your keyboards. You've got another dragon to slay. A new study has found that it is more efficient to straight-up burn plant material to generate electricity and then charge up electric vehicles than to make ethanol for those vehicles. Professor Elliot Campbell at ...

President Clinton headed to Ethanol Summit 2009 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has snagged former U.S. President Bill Clinton to be a speaker at the upcoming Ethanol Summit 2009. The Summit takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil in early June. Part of Clinton's post-White House life has been running the William J. Clinton ...

50 gallons per mile?!? That's the water cost of corn-based ethanol 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

The nail in the coffin of corn-based ethanol might be made of water. The magazine Environmental Science & Technology has published an article that pegs the amount of water needed to make enough corn ethanol to move a vehicle one mile at 50 gallons. That's pretty high. ES&T calculated the ...

GM makes the case for testing E15 ethanol blend 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

GM has long been a proponent of using high-level ethanol blend, E85, in motor vehicles. But, with all of the talk of putting E15 or E20 (gasoline with 15 or 20 percent ethanol blended in) into the national supply - see these earlier posts about the EPA, the Minnesota Ag Department, the Secretary of ...

Ethanol will raise cost of food programs by $900 million 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

A quick follow-up on the E15 warranty post from earlier today. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has found that increased ethanol use in 2007 and 2008 led to a rise in food prices of about 10-15 percent (FIXING OUR MISTAKES UPDATE: this sentence should end: "of the 5.1 percent increase in ...

EPA's E15 proposal prompts warranty worries 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

A little search for recent stories on the fate of E15 (gasoline with 15 percent ethanol blended in) in the U.S. shows how the tide seems to be turning in favor of expansion of the biofuel here. The EPA is considering it, the Minnesota Ag Department says E20 is just fine for fuel pumps, the ...

EPA wants to hear your thoughts on E15 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a call today that asks for comments on what would happen if E15 became common in the national gasoline supply. In early March, Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers submitted an application for a waiver that would allow them to increase the blend ...

Antibiotics pose concern for ethanol producers 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

There are a lot of reasons why corn-based ethanol may not be best biofuel available to ween ourselves off of petroleum, most of which have been well covered on this site. Today, we came across one that we were previously unaware of, and, interestingly enough, it has to do with bacteria and ...

Senators propose loan guarantees for Midwest ethanol pipeline 8 months ago on Autoblog Green

It's no secret that corn-state Senator Tom Harkin (D - Iowa) is a fan of ethanol. In 2006, Harkin and Senator Richard Lugar (R - Indiana) proposed an ethanol pipeline study. The DoT and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines studied a biofuel pipeline in 2007 and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners had no ...

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