QUOTE(Crazyhippy @ Dec 7 2006, 12:52 PM)
e-85 has less energy per gallon than reg gas, so your mileage will go down.
I just read an SAE paper that said E85 has a 7% advantage on gasoline in specific energy.
edit: specific energy is a measure of energy per WEIGHT, not volume. So you will consume more gallons of gas, but the specific energy is higher, which is how efficiency is measured. Its the same reason audi is winning all endurace races now with the diesel p1 prototype.
To my understanding, the downfall of E85 is politics. I dont mean to make this a political thread, but I've done some research on it. E85, obviously 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, can be derived from many things. The E85 in the US is made from corn, which takes eight times more energy to produce then sugar. Sugar would be a great alternative. In fact Brazil uses 20% sugar based ethanol in every gallon of gas they pump. The hold up is congress. Domestic sugar is very expensive and tarrifs prevent sugar to be imported as a cost effective alternative. The US has a 54 cent per gallon import tariff on sugar based ethanol to protect corn producers from competition. So, if the US drops the cost of their domestic sugar (which would mean wealthy white men in the sugar industry would take a hit in their pocket book) OR if the US allows foreign sugar based ethanol to be imported at a lesser tariff (which would mean wealthy white men in the corn industry would take a hit in their pocket book), sugar based E85 could be the alternative fuel of choice.