Morning Buzz for Tuesday 1/15/08—Alternative fuel

Welcome to the Morning Buzz on scnow.com! This is a place where we can talk about the stories making noise around the Pee Dee, The Grand Strand and beyond. I would love for you to voice your opinion by posting comments here!

More ethanol fueled cars are going to be hitting the roads over the next several years. As gas prices increase, many are considering switching to a hybrid or a car that runs on alternative fuel. Are you? Do you drive one now? How long do you think it will be before we see a substantial number of ethanol fueled cars on the road… and ethanol pumps at gas stations.

We’ll talk about this today at around 5:45 and 6:45. I want to know what you think!

From The Associated Press:
General Motors says it has formed a partnership with a renewable energy company, a rare move by a major automaker into the production of non-fossil fuels.
The industry titan has taken an ownership stake with Coskata, a company with plans to produce ethanol from agricultural leftovers and municipal and industrial waste.
GM's chief executive says it will take more than 12 years to replace most of the vehicles on the road with more energy efficient ones.
He says if all the flex-fuel vehicles produced by major U.S. automakers, plus those the companies have committed to producing by 2010, were to run on ethanol, they would displace 29 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
The ethanol being developed by Coskata's technology won't be available at gas stations until the end of 2010 at the earliest.

Posted by on 01/15 at 03:49 AM

I aint sure about what kinda mileage I’m getting when I drink ethanol..but I do know that I can take a trip and never leave the farm..

When I think about flex-fuel..I cant help but think about all of the 1’s involved in it..

To fill 1 SUV
1 time
takes enough corn that could feed 1 person
for 1 year

So while fuel prices could drop..the cost of food could skyrocket..that’s just too much of an emotional roller-coaster for me to ride this morning..

We just bought a brand new Chevy HHR..currently getting better than 30 miles per gallon..our V-8 truck gets about 19 miles per gallon..and the frozen corn we bought last weekend was 2 for $3.00..if things got any better..I’d think I was dreamin’..

At 55 miles per gallon..I’m just gonna hold out for that new Harley..

Posted by  on  01/15  at  06:15 AM

I think that Ethanol vehicles are a novel idea. It seems like a great alternative to high-priced gasoline. However, what are the disadvantages of using ethanol as opposed to gasoline? How will it affect our environment? How will it affect gas prices? the economy? Everyone will not be able to afford to buy or switch to an ethanol powered vehicle.  Hmm…something to think about.

Posted by  on  01/15  at  10:57 AM

You both bring up some good points.  I am interested in learning more about ethanol-powered vehicles.  I have a lot of questions… one of the biggest questions is: are more gas stations going to start offering ethanol? It looks like in the next few years we’ll see more of these vehicles… and see if the idea really takes off.

Posted by  on  01/15  at  11:24 AM

I dont think converting your present vehicle to ehtanol is a wise thing to do..you travel less distance on a tank of ethanol than you can on a tank of gasoline..it has less energy density (10%)..so unless you installed a bigger tank..you would actually get less miles to the tank full..

During the process of producing this fuel..it does emit toxic chemicals ( volatile organic compounds ) that can cause birth defects and cancer..it’s not much different than running a moonshine still….fermentation..distillation and drying..

So it isnt as pretty a picture as they paint..

Now if everyone cant afford an ethanol powered car..then surely farm equipment and semis are going to be out of the question..both of which will be heavily needed to harvest and haul your product..so underneath the surface of a wonderful ethanol powered world is what really makes it all possible..gasoline and diesel powered equipment..

For every gallon of corn ethanol produced..160 gallons of wastewater is produced..

I’ll let ya’ll figure out what we are gonna do with that..wink

Posted by  on  01/15  at  11:44 AM

I believe that ehtanol was thrown up on the table when fuel prices were at an all time high..

Once prices started falling..the mad panic for an alternative to gasoline faded away..leaving ethanol producers in it’s wake..

Less than 1% of stations around the country offer E85..and unless the consumer starts demanding it..then we are probably close to peaked out on the stations that will offer it..E85 burns at a rate way on faster than gasoline..so that 30 to 40 percent you are saving at the pump is short lived..sooner or later you have to pull away from the pump and back out onto the road..

Posted by  on  01/15  at  03:11 PM

very interesting…

Posted by suv and truck repair part  on  02/29  at  12:56 AM

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