Lone Ranger

Chingchonger is right, which is why E85 is NOT a good deal (85% ethanol 15% gasoline). If we assume that a factory tuned "flex fuel" brand new vehicle is the best-case scenario for ethanol use (most efficient burn), then E85 still KILLS mpg by about 25 - 30% compared to ethanol oxygenated gasoline (gasoline still has ethanol in it since gov't mandated change from MTBE to Ethanol as oxygenator) even when used in a flex fuel built vehicle.

jbbadboy

40psi? Just curious, do you go by the sticker on the car or by what the tire tells you in terms of air? I thought I read somewhere that you should go with the car sticker figures and not the tire. I've always had my tires at 35psi I believe (17" rims on my LT).

chingchonger

E85 may not be as fuel effecient as gasoline, but it's a renewable source of fuel and is much better for the environment. It's a forward movement in alternative fuels. As more and more people begin to use ethanol, we will be better off and it WILL be more cost effective.

chingchonger

The pressure stated on the door is the recommended tire pressure. 35 PSI is the best pressure for better tire performance all the while not sacrificing safety and much of the fuel economy.

40 PSI may yield better fuel economy, but not without sacrifice. The center of the tire may wear out quicker as well.

jbbadboy

Really! That's interesting. Any guess as to how much of an increase in fuel economy would result just by increase tire psi from 35 to 40?

-md- HHR

I normally get about 30mpg....now I'm getting 26ish.

Lone Ranger

With all due respect, chingchonger, you sell GM Flex Fuel vehicles so I can understand your defense of ethanol from that standpoint, but I disagree. Ethanol causes more smog-forming emissions, and diversion of corn to fuel production reduces supply of that grain available for direct human food source and livestock feed, which both drive up consumer cost of retail food products. This doesn't even take into account the fact that corn-based ethanol production is at or close to being an Energy Sink-- i.e. it takes about as much energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than that gallon yields. Switch Grass or Cane based ethanol does better on the energy input vs. output scale, which is but one reason why the nation of Brazil is not a valid comparison to the US for ethanol for fuel self-sufficiency-- 1. they produce from cane, 2. they have a longer growing season, 3. they have much lower fuel needs, 4. they still rely on petroleum from owned off-shore rigs, and 5. they tend to choose more fuel efficient vehicles than we do, and they drive less distance (as well as far lower percentage of population there even owns vehicle compared to US population)

The only viable immediate or near-term hope for America to reduce reliance on foreign oil is conservation, which means US consumers choosing much more fuel efficient vehicles. USA can never reduce her petroleum demand until people quit buying the 13mpg specials. Europe (and much of the rest of the world) is way ahead of the curve on us in this regard.

Energy conservation isn't about global warming or tree hugging, it is about making America stronger and what American wouldn't be in favor of that?

solman98

I hope you guys know the HHR is not a Flex Fuel vehicle. Don't be running E85 in it. E85 IS a renewable fuel and as it's technology increases, so will it's benefits. I would rather pay American farmers to grow crops for ethonol verses the refineries. Food costs are rising mostly due to the cost of diesel to move/produce foods. E85 crops (corn, etc) give farmers a chance to produce crops during what is mostly their "off" season. Although some may do it year round.

I would like to see some proof of this statement (in bold).

Offy

It takes nearly as much energy to make ethanol as it yields. If corn is used as the organic source the cost to you is much greater than the savings. Trading energy for energy and consuming a resource that is used in food etc. is not really all the good that the enviormentilists would have us lemmings believe. IMHO

chingchonger

Ethanol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks such as sugar cane, bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum, grain sorghum, switchgrass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, fruit, molasses, corn, stover, grain, wheat, straw, cotton, other biomass, as well as many types of cellulose waste and harvestings.

Compared with conventional unleaded gasoline, ethanol is a particulate-free burning fuel source that combusts cleanly with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.

Newer technology will efficiently produce ethanol. Ethanol is one of many alternatives to fossil fuels, NOT a replacement.

In combination of better fuel efficiency for vehicles, alternative fuels, and public transportation, we can eventually phase out the dependency of fossil fuels.