Ethanol Gas Tests Surprising

Even Standard Vehicles Perform Well on Renewable Fuel Blends

Dec 13, 2008

Ethanol investments could benefit from news that greater than predicted fuel efficiency can be seen using renewable fuels in even non alternative fuel cars.

Ethanol stocks may well see an increase in share price valuations if news spreads of a federally sponsored ethanol fuel test that produced surprising – some may say startling – results. The Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, in collaboration with the Center for Automotive Research at Minnesota State University – Mankato, found that even non-flex-fuel vehicles got better fuel economy on ethanol gasoline blends than with unleaded gasoline.

“It is notable that the non-flex-fuel vehicles obtained greater fuel economy at higher blends of ethanol than the unleaded gasoline,” the investigators reported. “There is a strong indication that non-flex-fuel vehicles operated on optimal ethanol blend levels, which are higher than the standard E10 blend, can obtain better fuel mileage than on gasoline.”

Alternative Fuel for Cars Produces Efficiency

Though apparently counter-intuitive, the results are based on alternative fuel tests conducted using strict Federal protocols for the Highway Fuel Economy Test (HWFET). While the increased fuel efficiency of the renewable fuel posted only a one percent advantage over gasoline, any increase is surprising given the lower Btu content of ethanol. Significantly, the flex fuel vehicle tested on an E20 ethanol blend outperformed its gasoline efficiency by 15 percent.

With about 67 percent of the energy content in gasoline, ethanol is expected to achieve fewer miles per gallon. But, because its price is typically significantly lower than gasoline, an ethanol gas blend may readily provide more miles per dollar.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Leads Efficiency

The tests, conducted in 2007, used four current-model vehicles – three standard cars and one of the new alternative fuel vehicles. The standard models included a Ford Fusion, a Toyota Camry and a Chevrolet Impala. The alternative fuel car was a flex-fuel Chevrolet Impala.

Because the primary purpose of the investigation was to discover whether there was an optimal ethanol gas blend that would produce better mileage than predicted based solely on per-gallon Btu content, the tests involved blends of up to 85 percent ethanol. The gasoline used in the tests was standardized Tier 2 gas.

Alternative Fuel Car Results

The results showed that the flex-fuel Chevy Impala performed best on an E20 blend. For the Fusion and the Camry, the optimal blend was E30. In the standard-model Impala, the E40 blend produced the greatest efficiency. “It is notable that the non-flex-fuel vehicles obtained greater fuel economy at higher blends of ethanol than they were designed for,” the investigators concluded.

Interestingly, all four vehicles operated without an engine fault code display on ethanol blend levels of at least 45 percent.

Optimal Ethanol Blend-Level Investigation. Shockey RE, Aulich TR, et. al. Energy & Environmental Research Center. University of North Dakota. 2007.

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