Fuel Options - RUG vs. Ethanol RUG

I have done a little research online after taking a trip to Michigan on my Roadsmith Trike. I could not find any 10% ethanol Regular Gasoline there, which is great. During the entire time riding for three days in Michigan, I was averaging 35 mpg overall, loaded with a rack and two up. Once I returned to Wisconsin, it dropped to 32 approximately under the same conditions. So here is what I found and hope it helps you as well. After reading what I've posted below, I hope you'll realize the benefits as I did. It's only Regular gas without ethanol for me now, if I can find it.

Ethanol

Ethanol is an alternative fuel included in some percentage in most gasoline you buy at the pump. Some vehicles can run on both gasoline and ethanol. Ethanol is ethyl alcohol, which is made from plant matter such as grain, corn, or plant and gardening waste. The ethanol is produced by fermenting the plant matter. Gasoline is a fossil fuel refined from petroleum, which is used to power most motor vehicles.

According to a 2008 study by the University of Minnesota, ethanol only produces 25 percent more energy than the fossil fuels it takes to process biofuel into ethanol. Minnesota is the ethanol capital of the United States. The state of Minnesota has more ethanol stations than any other state. Minnesota has many farmers who supply biofuels that are turned into ethanol.

Miles per Gallon

According to "Ethanol Explained," when using ethanol to fuel an ethanol-ready vehicle in place of gasoline, fuel economy drops 20 to 30 percent. This is using 10% ethanol based fuels added to RUG or regular gasoline.

The prices of gas and ethanol vary. Ethanol is usually slightly cheaper per gallon than gasoline, but gasoline(non-ethanol) gets up to 30 percent more mileage per gallon, so ethanol ends up costing more per mile than gasoline.

BTU's or British Thermal Units of Energy

One US gallon of gasoline contains 114,000 BTU's of energy -- right? Well yes, and no. It depends on the time of year, and it depends on what is in that gallon of gasoline. Most of the gasoline's we get today, contains 10% of Ethanol. Ethanol is ethyl alcohol; the kind of alcohol in your beer, whiskey, bourbon, vodka, cocktails, etc.. It takes one and a half US gallons of pure ethanol to equal the energy in one US gallon of gasoline, because ethanol only has 76,100 BTU's of energy per gallon . Less energy means less gas mileage. George W. Bush made it possible for the gas stations to sell Gasohol (E10) without labeling the pumps; in other words, we do not know alcohol is in the gas. Ever wonder where your gas mileage went?

Ethanol-blend fuels will lower MPG in most engines. Fuel efficiency can decrease by 2 - 40 %, depending on the vehicle you drive. Have you ever noticed that in the winter, you get less mileage out of a tank of gas? Oh sure, you waste a lot of gas warming up the car; but what about trips! Winter gasolines only contains 112, 500 BTU's per gallon . That is, if you are using 100% gasoline. There is no telling how low the "gasohol" BYU rating is in winter. Ohio and other states do not sell 100% gasoline at the pumps. They chose Ethanol in the gasoline as a way to meet the Clean Air Act emissions standard. If you have a vehicle that was made before 1990, it is not compatible with alcohol in fuels. The gaskets and seals that touch the fuel, from the engine to the fuel pump, will deteriorate and fail. The timing of the engine firing order is affected. It makes the engine work harder; puts more pressure on the bearings and internal parts. Many auto manufacturers prohibit the use of alcohol in the fuel of their vehicles; and it is not just cars and trucks; industrial engines, generators, lawnmowers, weed eaters, and all gasoline powered tools are all affected.

The pumps provide us a choice of Octane. Octane rating is a measure of the "Resistance" of petro fuels to "Auto-ignition" in spark-ignition internal combustion engines. The higher the number, the higher the resistance to ignite (less chance of pre-ignition). Octane has nothing to do with the BTU energy content of the gasoline. It is the BTU's that allows us to get the best fuel economy for our bucks. Adding alcohol, of any kind, to gasoline, dilutes the fuel and lowers the BTU energy.

Good gas mileage starts with good gasoline. 100% gasoline is available, but it is hard to find. Marina and aviation fueling stations carry it because alcohol absorbs water; and water is detrimental to boat and airplane engines. Marathon Oil offers it in some parts of Florida

States that "do not" require ethanol/alcohol pump labeling:
DC, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio

The following states "sometimes: require labeling, often dependent on percent of ethanol alcohol added:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.