AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

E-85 Bargain? Environmental Savior?

Edmunds.com ran a head-to-head test of E-85 ethanol and gasoline and came to some interesting conclusions. They drove a flex-fuel Chevrolet Tahoe from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back first on E-85 (85% ethanol) and then on conventional gasoline. The Tahoe averaged 18.3 mpg on the gasoline and 13.5 mpg on the E-85. The gasoline cost $3.42 per gallon, and the E-85 cost $3.09. In summary, it cost 22% more to drive the Tahoe on E-85 than on gasoline. When figuring carbon emissions, it was a statistical tie.

If, as some critics claim, there is more carbon dioxide emitted refining and delivering ethanol than gasoline, then gasoline is actually the cleaner fuel.

What about performance? The Tahoe was a half second quicker 0-60 on gasoline. In theory, the vehicle should be faster on the E-85 due to the higher octane in the E-85, the engine can run at a higher compression before knocking. However, to realize the benefits of the higher octane, the engine has to be tuned for it. Clearly the Tahoe is not tuned for optimal performance under E-85.