the Hummer series the Escalade are proof-positives of the excesses enjoyed by Americans and our Canadian friends in the past 10 years...

I saw an Escalade hybrid last week.

I laughed openly at it.


That's like putting green party stickers on an International Navistar.

Posted by bandi I saw an Escalade hybrid last week. I laughed openly at it. That's like putting green party stickers on an International Navistar.

if they were serious about getting fuel efficient, we'd have a series of diesel engines available for everything from the Aveo to the Escalade.

Agreed. Hybrid anything= heavy, heavy fail.

Posted by bandi I saw an Escalade hybrid last week. I laughed openly at it. That's like putting green party stickers on an International Navistar.

What are the GM Flex Fuel vehicles like? Does e-85 provide any benefit or fuel savings

Posted by oddspot What are the GM Flex Fuel vehicles like? Does e-85 provide any benefit or fuel savings

e-85 is not scalable to any practical level above the tropics. and the energy return on ethanol is about 15 to 1 compared to about 30 for light sweet crude. not to mention the food crops it's going to displace...

Posted by steponmebbbboom e-85 is not scalable to any practical level above the tropics. and the energy return on ethanol is about 15 to 1 compared to about 30 for light sweet crude. not to mention the food crops it's going to displace...

E85 actually is pretty powerful BUT...the problem is that the so-called FlexFuel engines out there do not actually take advtange of it right and loose the efficiency in the process.

Posted by Agent Skelly E85 actually is pretty powerful BUT...the problem is that the so-called FlexFuel engines out there do not actually take advtange of it right and loose the efficiency in the process.

correct. Wiki:

The Renewable Fuels Foundation states in its Changes in Gasloine IV manual, "There is no requirement to post octane on an E85 dispenser. If a retailer chooses to post octane, they should be aware that the often cited 105 octane is incorrect. This number was derived by using ethanol’s blending octane value in gasoline. This is not the proper way to calculate the octane of E85. Ethanol’s true octane value should be used to calculate E85’s octane value. This results in an octane range of 94-96 (R+M)/2. These calculations have been confirmed by actual octane engine tests." [12] One complication is that use of gasoline in an engine with a high enough compression ratio to use E85 efficiently would likely result in catastrophic failure due to engine detonation, as the octane rating of gasoline is not high enough to withstand the greater compression ratios in use in an engine specifically designed to run on E85. Use of E85 in an engine designed specifically for gasoline would result in a loss of the potential efficiency that it is possible to gain with this fuel. Using E85 in a gasoline engine has the drawback of achieving lower fuel economy as more fuel is needed per unit air (stoichiometric fuel ratio) to run the engine in comparison with gasoline. This corresponds to a lower heating value (units of energy per unit mass) for E85 than gasoline.

the article goes on to say that e85 would have to be much cheaper than gasoline for it to make economic sense, and due to government incentives it is actually a bit cheaper, but given the low energy return of about 15, there's just no current way to process it in a way that can compete with conventional gasoline and it's fat net energy numbers. personally i don't know that i want ethanol to succeed as an alternative fuel as the crops needed to grow it will displace food crops and cripple our food supply.

there is another problem that is being encountered with any ethanol variant. In many older vehicles, it is causing the fuel systems to fail prematurely, the emission systems are having problems. It's degrading fiberglass fuel tanks and blowing up ATV engines.
and this just from 10% ethanol.
i have to drive all the way to Vermont for uneth'd gasoline.

Posted by Samurai there is another problem that is being encountered with any ethanol variant. In many older vehicles, it is causing the fuel systems to fail prematurely, the emission systems are having problems. It's degrading fiberglass fuel tanks and blowing up ATV engines. and this just from 10% ethanol. i have to drive all the way to Vermont for uneth'd gasoline.

ethanol is hell on rubber hoses/seals, id never run it in my cars either

Posted by steponmebbbboom ethanol is hell on rubber hoses/seals, id never run it in my cars either

you can't get away from it in New York state.

Posted by Samurai there is another problem that is being encountered with any ethanol variant. In many older vehicles, it is causing the fuel systems to fail prematurely, the emission systems are having problems. It's degrading fiberglass fuel tanks and blowing up ATV engines. and this just from 10% ethanol. i have to drive all the way to Vermont for uneth'd gasoline.

I find that interesting because Oregon has been doing E10 for over 25 years and never heard of anything have that problem.

Posted by Agent Skelly I find that interesting because Oregon has been doing E10 for over 25 years and never heard of anything have that problem.

Yeah, I find that interesting too, I lived in Iowa for a long time and always ran E10 in my vehicles. I never had a problem. Even though the octane was listed as 89, I think it was actually more than that. When I would use straight unleaded 89, I noticed occasional pinging, less power, and less fuel economy than when I was running the 89 octane E10. I'll use it today whenever I can find it. Of course, it is not available in Mississippi.

Oregon of course has another problem where it seems that both Chevron and Shell seem to distribute some of their mininum standard gas to stations. If I go to Washington state (also an E10 state), I get better mileage and power. However, I do pay bit more due to taxes.

http://www.treehug...inosaurs-video.php

Posted by atomx http://www.treehug...inosaurs-video.php

this is one of the dumbest clips yet.
they made it sound like the Buick Electra soldiered on with 9.5mpg until 1990... it was FWD by the mid 80's and the largest engine available was a 4.1L V6.

http://www.autoblo...-849-unit-order%2F

GM's going to build 849 more units for an order...hmm...wonder who ordered em?

Shael

Posted by Samurai this is one of the dumbest clips yet. they made it sound like the Buick Electra soldiered on with 9.5mpg until 1990... it was FWD by the mid 80's and the largest engine available was a 4.1L V6.

Sam, don't try using logic with these people. I does not on bit of good. Internal Combustion = Hitler and the planet is all Jews to them.