While we promised we weren't going to go there, it appears that the political winds are shifting toward a permanent commitment to ethanol fuels. In northern states, winter blend “E85” is really E51. Wisconsinites (87), Michiganders (54), and Ohioans (46) are well set too. While mixing 85 percent 108-octane ethanol with 15 percent 93 octane would yield something in the 102 octane range, the fact is that most manufacturers mix it with 84 octane or lower. Josh Ksiazkiewicz is a GM Powertrain engineer and one of GM Performance Division's resident E85 gurus. But wouldn't you know it, there is more to the story. Whatever you call it, the important thing to keep in mind is that knock is detrimental to performance and reliability. Thus you get no more octane benefit once you reach a … In Brazil, ethanol fuel is neat at the pumps, hence flexible-fuel vehicles (FFV) including trucks, tractors, motorbikes and mopeds run on E100. On 100-octane gasoline, the combination made 509 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm and 540 hp at 6,000 rpm. Usually when environmental and social issues arise involving cars, hot rodders get to take it right in the neck. Therefore, it must be avoided. E85 is increasingly common in the United States, mainly in the Midwest where corn is a major crop and is the primary source material for ethanol-fuel production. (Knock and preignition are two different conditions: Knock is spontaneous combustion in the end gases before the flame-front can arrive, while preignition takes place before the timed ignition spark occurs, typically due to localized incandescence or hot spots in the combustion chamber.) In Finland E85 is available from 52 St1 chain locations and 71 ABC chain locations. Using E85 also reduces carbon-monoxide emissions and provides significant reductions in emissions of many harmful toxics, including benzene, a known human carcinogen. According to the manufacturer, this is due to the cooling properties of ethanol. Altitude and Octane •Controversy over oil industry’s legacy offering of low octane fuels in high altitude areas. In contrast, ethanol critics contest the benefits of E85 by focusing on the fact that E85 has 33% lower heating value compared to the higher heating value of gasoline. In the United States, to realize equivalent fuel economy at the pump with an FFV, the price of E85 must be much lower than gasoline. In carbureted applications you will usually need higher-flowing metering blocks calibrated for E85, while in fuel-injected applications you may need to upgrade the injectors to a greater lb/hr rating. In the U.S., unleaded gasoline typically has octane ratings of 87 (regular), 88–90 (midgrade), and 91–94 (premium). Selecting the Right Octane Fuel What is octane rating? But as of this writing there were seven states with no E85 locations at all, mainly in New England. For those of you who don't know, E85 is a mix of 85% denatured ethanol fuel and 15% regular gasoline. Some racers report more power from E85 than from methanol. The 85% fraction is commonly sold at pumps worldwide (outside the US), and when specifically supplied or sold as E85 is always 85% ethanol (at pumps or in barrel). The equivalent octane of E85 can be from 105 to 109 or so. However, E85 can further reduce emissions of certain pollutants as compared to conventional gasoline or lower-volume ethanol blends. Those are some of the downsides and tradeoffs. Where do I find the closest E85 gas station around my location? Funny, isn't it? In the United States, the exact ratio of fuel ethanol to hydrocarbon may vary according to ASTM 5798 that specifies the allowable ethanol content in E85 as ranging from 51% to 83%. E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. Moving up in concentration, like going from E65 to E85, does not generate the same 3-point jump in octane. E85 has an octane rating higher than that of regular gasoline's typical rating of 87, or premium gasoline's 91-93. High-Octane Fuel While the stoichiometric (chemically ideal) air/fuel mixture ratio for gasoline is approximately 14.7:1, with ethanol it is around 9.79:1. Ethanol advocates[who?] C85 is blended with a consistent proportion of ethanol and every other component in every drum. Ethanol-the fuel distilled from corn instead of crude oil-is a controversial topic in political circles these days. Gas in the U.S… [13] The availability ended in 2011, due to a severe excise-duty hike which rendered it economically unviable. The bottom line here is that ethanol looks like a pretty darn good performance fuel. Naturally, higher gasoline content will tend to lower the pump octane from 105 for "pure" E85 to perhaps 100 for E75-though these figures are approximations, it is important to note. These emissions are hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Here in Illinois, the octane of regular and premium gasoline is usually 87 and 93 respectively. Common blends, in addition to E85, include E25 (25% ethanol, 75% gasoline) and E30 (30% ethanol, 70% gasoline). We can't change that. Having a guaranteed ethanol fraction obviates the need for a vehicle system to calculate best engine tune according to maximise performance and economy. This allows them to run efficiently on conventional gasoline. Since hot rodders are all about looking for a performance edge, not to mention doing it on the cheap, it didn't take them long to notice something interesting: E85 ethanol actually retails for less than regular gasoline-from 20 to 40 cents per gallon cheaper in most areas. E85 ethanol is used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. You remember Kurt Urban, the guy wheeling the killer green Nova ("Sucker's Bet," Nov. '06). This allows it to be used in higher-compression engines, which tend to produce more power per unit of displacement than their gasoline counterparts. Today's Different Fuel Options. [1] This is due to the lower heating value of neat ethanol making it difficult to crank engines in relatively cold climates without pre-heating air intake, faster cranking, or mixing varying fractions of gasoline according to climate. [14][15] The E85 sold by St1 is labeled as RE85 and as "Eko E85" in ABC-stations to indicate it is manufactured from Finnish bio-waste. So the numbers were very similar for both fuels, with E85 squeaking out a slight edge. Since 100-octane racing gas may sell for five to six bucks per gallon, and 105-octane can knock you back as much as 10 to 12 dollars per gallon, at less than three bucks per gallon E85 starts to look very attractive. And since I’ve always wanted a chart detailing exactly which states have 85 vs. 87 octane, I’m providing it below. In the United States to offset this difference in fuel consumption in vehicles not optimised for ethanol, legislation has been passed to subsidize its cost. But its pump octane rating is 105, considerably higher than premium pump gas (93 to 94 octane) and comparable to racing fuels. Examples of octane mis-citation can be found at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association titled "E85 Facts"[4] which cites a range of 100-105, and a document at the Texas State Energy Conservation Office titled "Ethanol",[5] which cites a 113 rating. The tests have shown very little consistency if any at all because there are too many variables involved. Minnesota residents have it made with 322 retail outlets. There are a few major differences between FFVs and non-FFVs. The octane rating indicates the likelihood of the fuel to experience “knock.” Knock, the onomatopoeia named after the condition, is also known as detonation or autoignition. The good news is that all things being equal, when tuned properly E85 will make at least as much power as gasoline of comparable octane, and often a little more. In Colorado, those numbers are knocked down by 2 points to 85 and 91 octane. Lucky us: We get to bypass all the left-wing poppycock and right-wing folderol and focus on this issue solely as it relates to hot rodding. Class 1 or "pure" E85 contains 80 to 84 percent ethanol, while the remainder of the blend is commercial-grade (around 85 pump octane) gasoline. Another option is to brew your own E85. And that points directly to one of the clear tradeoffs with E85: When you pump in roughly 25 percent more fuel, you take an approximate 25 percent hit in fuel economy as well, though it can be offset somewhat with careful tuning. But you may need to buy some straight ethanol to boost an ethanol-shy E85 mix to the 87-percent mark. In fact, E85 contains approximately 80% less of these gum-forming compounds. He says, "If you compare gasoline and E85, they have roughly a 20 to 25 percent differential in energy density by mass. Use of alcohol (ethanol and methanol) in motor racing history parallels the invention of the automobile, favoured due to inherent combustion characteristics such as high thermal efficiency, raised torque and with some advanced engines, better specific fuel consumption. [8], A study by Purdue University found that the economic benefit of E85 is highly dependent on the price of crude oil. Just for fun, Urban then bolted up his standard turbocharger combination, a Garrett GT42 blower and Precision Turbo air/water intercooler, to the well-worn test mule. The make and model of the vehicle, the way in which the ethanol was produced and the vehicle's overall fuel efficiency all play a large role in the overall outcome of each study. They claim that some ethanol engines have already produced 22% more miles per gallon than identical gasoline engines.[2]. [citation needed], E85 promoters and the Society of Automotive Engineers contend that automotive manufacturers currently fail to equal the fuel consumption of gasoline because they fail to take advantages of characteristics which are superior in ethanol-based fuel blends. E85 critics contend that ethanol producers may not reduce carbon emissions due to the petroleum and natural gas used in raising corn and refining it. Both of those blending efforts raise the AKI by three full numbers. It can only be used in fuel systems designed specifically for E85 blends. For (R+M)/2 octane rating, E50 and E85 are almost identical. Catch a whiff of that 170 proof. Because energy content does not factor certain latent or specific heat values[citation needed], nor combustion pressure, so looking at heat alone in the combustion equation does not determine efficiency or work according to the laws of thermodynamics. Most E85 contains 87-percent ethanol. E85 was at least 20% less expensive in most areas as recently as 2011. Other measures taken by Congress to jump start ethanol production include the 2004 VEETC bill, which provided for a Small Ethanol Producer Tax Credit which gave tax credits to small ethanol producers. Stainless steel fuel lines, sometimes lined with plastic, and stainless-steel fuel tanks in place of terne fuel tanks have been used. The 87-octane fuel maintained more power than the 89-octane fuel. Corn used to produce ethanol contains a high amount of starch and is not easily digestible by humans, like sweet corn. "It's high-octane fuel for everyone, 105 you can buy on the road.". Others say that the world can easily replace all of its use of petroleum by simply making ethanol from the many crops that yield more ethanol per acre than corn yields, with existing technology, not future technology,[11] and that certain elements in the cellulosic ethanol field are more interested in patent rights than in producing the greatest amount of ethanol at the lowest price point. USA, Canada: Octane number, Octane rating or octane: Could refer to any of the above, if you can work out which country the article was written in you should be able to work it out. For example, if the motor octane of a gasoline is 90 and its research octane is 98, its (R+M)/2 or pump octane is 94. Find93.com is completely reliant on user submissions. Also, E85 is perfectly legal for road use, and depending on where you live, it is available straight off the fueling island at your local gas station. This is why, in part, you may see E85 described as anywhere from 100 to 106 octane. Here the green solution may be the ideal performance solution as well. USA, Canada (R + M )/2: Average of RON & MON. However, E85 in certain engine operating conditions may increase emissions of acetaldehyde. Labels must clearly indicate blender pump fuels for FFVs. When we speak of the pump or road octane of a fuel generally we mean the (R+M)/2 method, where two separately derived ratings, research octane (RON) and motor octane (MON), are added together and their sum divided by 2. As more effort is put into maximizing an engine to take advantage of E85's higher "octane", engines achieve greater power advantages. And when we compare the performance potential of E85 apples to apples-that is, to other retail pump fuels-really there is no comparison. (W2W tests its pump-gas engines on 100-octane for safety's sake, then performs its final validations with 93-octane pump fuel.) To simplify the test, a BigStuff3 engine-control unit with both pump gas and E85 calibrations handy was plugged into the EFI harness. So ethanol appears to be a sweet deal if you are in need of a high-octane street fuel. The test mule was W2W's standard LS2 crate engine, 402 ci with electronic fuel injection, Mahle 10.2:1 pistons, and ported cathedral heads. Naked aluminum corrodes when exposed to ethanol. Well, when not out doing his Clark Kent thing with one of the most outrageous sleepers ever built, Urban handles engine development at Wheel to Wheel Powertrain (W2W) in Madison Heights, Michigan. Knock occurs when the fuel-air mixture in the cylinder does not experience an ideal burn. The dyno sheet for the 91-octane fuel showed horsepower and torque figures within one point of those measured on the 89-octane fuel. Next, just as with conventional gasoline, with E85 and other ethanol blends there are multiple ways to measure octane. © 2021 Hot Rod | MOTOR TREND GROUP, LLC. The official definition of octane is: the measure of a fuel's ability to resist \"knocking\" or \"pinging\" during combustion, caused by the air/fuel mixture detonating prematurely in the engine. In one US test, an early model 2.75-ton Chevy Tahoe FFV averaged 18 MPG (U.S. gallons) for gasoline and 13 MPG for E85, 28% worse than gasoline. It has a commonly accepted octane rating of 105 although that may vary depending upon the quality of the 15 percent gasoline. Numerous studies have compared and contrasted the different emissions and the effects these emissions have on the environment, but the tests have been inconclusive. If you’re committed to using E85 type fuels, C85 is by far your best choice. However, the article also says that a 2001 state legislative report called this theory into question, with respect to vehicles newer than 1984. And Urban felt that with some optimizing of the spark curve to exploit E85's greater octane, further gains were well within reach. [3] The 2008 Farm Bill reduced the VEETC's 51-cent tax credit to 45 cents. A recent graduate of Kettering University, he is currently writing a rather thick master's thesis on ethanol fuels. E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume.. In all cases, Ksiazkiewsicz notes, "You need to look over your entire fuel delivery system, including the pump and lines, to ensure it can deliver the additional fuel mass." Because E85 is predominantly ethanol, the exhaust emissions are very different from those of regular gasoline. Since straight ethanol has a relatively low Reid vapor pressure (meaning it doesn't like to light off at low temperatures), greater percentages of gasoline are added to the blend for colder weather. One car that has higher power on ethanol is the Koenigsegg CCXR, which on ethanol is the fifth-most powerful production car, with 20% more hp on E85 than on gasoline. [9], E85 critics contend that production of ethanol from corn (maize) drives up world food prices, causing corn to be unaffordable or even unavailable. An ideal burn allows the mixture to combust evenly, initiating from the spark plug until all of the air-fuel mixt… Since our vans perform better with 87+ octane, we always try to fill up before entering an 85-octane state. Ethanol has an octane rating of about 108.6, which is only 0.10 octane lower than the methanol once commonly used in racing circles. As of July 1, 2014, there were more than 3,300 fuel stations that offered E85 fuel. Sunoco E85-R is an unleaded racing fuel containing 85 volume % ethanol. Class 2's ethanol minimum is 74. I need to get some E85 gas right now. E85 has a much greater latent heat of vaporization than gasoline, cooling the intake charge and thus increasing its air density-rather like intercooling or water-alcohol injection. [18] lower octane gas can be sold if labeled as "sub-standard" or "sub-regular" South Dakota: 85/87 87/89 91 85 octane must be sold with a warning label displayed at the pump. Class 2 or E75 is 75 to 79 percent ethanol, while Class 3 or E70 is 70 to 74 percent ethanol. Mileage is dependent upon the composition of the ethanol-gasoline blend, transmission, state of engine tune (primarily fuel-air mixture, spark timing and compression ratio). [clarification needed] And just to let you know where he is coming from: The 730hp, 496ci Rat motor in his personal hot rod, a '69 Chevy half-ton pickup, runs on E85 with a Demon carburetor. The real difference here, of course, is that one fuel is an expensive racing blend while the other sells for less than regular. Higher Octane: Pump gas octane varies in the US by both grade and state. With a pump octane of 105 instead of 87 to 94, you can run more compression, more boost, and more spark advance without damaging the engine with knock, and make more power. Pump Octane Number: Average of RON & MON. California of all places has only three. American farmers grow more corn than people purchase; there is an annual surplus of corn in the U.S.[10]. With its knock-stifling 105 road octane, E85 is a pump fuel that performs like race fuel. Recently we looked in on a dyno shootout Urban conducted featuring gasoline versus E85. But it looks like the supply situation will continue to improve. Part of the reason likely is that only a small percentage of the nation’s fueling stations offer it. [7], EPA's stringent tier-II vehicle emission standards require that FFVs achieve the same low emissions level regardless whether E85 or gasoline is used. The research octane of ethanol is impressively high, which is a beautiful thing for high-compression and high-boost applications. Here’s an example. Once you've recalibrated your fuel system for ethanol, you're committed to ethanol until you change the calibration back again. Your information will be collected and used in accordance with our  Privacy Policy. As a direct replacement for petroleum, ethanol also displaces toxic chemicals such as benzene. However, ethanol presents no hazard whatsoever to oxygen sensors and catalytic converters-a definite plus. In 2010, the cost of gas in the US averaged $3.42, while the cost for E85 averaged $3.09, or 90% of the cost of gasoline. In some cases, FFVs use specific engine oil that neutralises acidity. EPA is conducting additional analysis to expand our understanding of the emissions impacts of E85. Not even the RON octane rating is that high. Where do I find the closest E85 gas station around my location? More recently, the Tax Relief Act, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization Act, and Job Creation Act of 2010 extended the tax cuts allowed by VEETC from the end of 2010 to the end of 2012. Yes, you will need more, just as you have heard-considerably more, in the range of 25 percent. With higher quality pure components, C85 is superior to E85 … [19][20] In another test, however, a fleet of Ford Tauruses averaged only about 6% fewer miles per gallon in ethanol-based vehicles when compared to traditional, gas-powered Tauruses. This page was last edited on 5 January 2021, at 00:02. Blender pumps are also a legal method to dispense E15 to conventional vehicles, model year 2001 and newer. E85 was formerly available from the Maxol chain in Ireland, where it was made from whey, a byproduct of cheese manufacturing. Some vehicles can be converted to use E85 despite not being specifically built for it. Class 1 is summertime E85, and needs to have a minimum of 79 percent ethanol (so even E85 doesn't have to be E85). However, its motor octane (the more extreme standard) is relatively low when compared to racing gasolines of similar (R+M)/2 octane. These modifications have not only resulted in lower GHG emissions, but typically resulted in 10-12% power and torque increase at the wheels. Or, in Blending Chart 3, creating E30 bumps that 89-octane gasoline to an inspiring 92 octane. What this means is that E85 is highly resistant to knock but somewhat sensitive to preignition, comparatively speaking. Because of its low price (less than $2.00/gal in some places) and high availability in certain areas people have started to turn to using it in place of high-end racing fuels, which typically cost over $10.00/gal. In order to give people a better understand of say E50 versus a 50% mix of E85 or E70...I did a chart to show the differences. For vehicles with in-tank-mounted fuel pumps, precautions to prevent arcing, as well as flame arrestors positioned in the tank's fill pipe, are sometimes used. However, in Australia, where Holden has sold more than 70,000 FFVs since 2010, the difference in combined consumption on similar V8 variants in a family sedan is between 10% and 20%. [21], The examples and perspective in this article, The examples and perspective in this section, US EPA/OAR/Office of Transportation & Air Quality/Advanced Technology Division and FEV Engine Technology; Inc. "Economical, High-Efficiency Engine Technologies for Alcohol Fuels", Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Vol. 45, Issue 39, Learn how and when to remove this template message. But on older cars in particular, gaskets, seals, and hoses will need to be updated to ethanol-compatible materials, as in the long term the exposure will shorten their service lives. What we can do is compensate for it by delivering more fuel mass to make up the difference.". Some say that cellulosic ethanol produced from waste materials or fast growing non-food crops such as switchgrass is much more beneficial, but not yet economically practical at large scale.