Delighted to break the 50 MPG barrier!

[Yaris Hilton]

I don't trust the pure-gas.org list. I suspect a lot of those stations just don't have the ethanol stickers posted. Anyway, I don't mind burning E10. 3.4% less energy volumetrically just means you have to take that into account if comparing mileage of the two blends. Pre-ethanol gas since the late '90s had oxygenates in it at about a 2% oxygen level, just a bit less than E10, meaning the energy loss from "pure" gasoline was just a bit less than with E10 as well. Ethanol is not worse for our cars than MTBE or other "oxygenates." It's silly to make a big issue out of avoiding it as a consumer. As public policy, it's stupid to grow corn and make fuel out of it.

[STC]

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

I don't trust the pure-gas.org list. I suspect a lot of those stations just don't have the ethanol stickers posted. Anyway, I don't mind burning E10. 3.4% less energy volumetrically just means you have to take that into account if comparing mileage of the two blends. Pre-ethanol gas since the late '90s had oxygenates in it at about a 2% oxygen level, just a bit less than E10, meaning the energy loss from "pure" gasoline was just a bit less than with E10 as well. Ethanol is not worse for our cars than MTBE or other "oxygenates." It's silly to make a big issue out of avoiding it as a consumer. As public policy, it's stupid to grow corn and make fuel out of it.

Yes... you are correct! Caveat emptor when buying gas. In PA it is manditory by law to have a sticker posted on pumps for any amount of ethanol sold. Very stiff penalties are enforced. I feel comfortable that if I pump gas and no labels are on the pump, it is completely completely free of ethanol. For TN it's much different. Tennessee law requires a label for 1.5% or higher of ethanol. So, you could be filling gas at a station with no labels thinking your getting pure ethanol-free gas and you are actually not.

I agree that Ethanol is not worse than MTBE. This is the marketing side - the disinformation and misinformation you hear from the pro-MTBE camp. There are pros and cons on both sides.

I know only time will tell when Central PA will be all ethanol. No escaping... I will have to live with that... I also know I will have to live with paying more for corn based foods down the road...

Cheers!