[BMW11]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...ocId=D9IQVA700

EPA approves more ethanol in gas
By MARY CLARE JALONICK (AP) – 4 hours ago

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency has approved blending higher concentrations of ethanol into gasoline for newer vehicles, allowing the corn-based fuel to be up to 15 percent of mixtures sold at the pump.

The current maximum blend is 10 percent. The EPA announced Wednesday that the higher blend will be approved for cars and light duty trucks manufactured since 2007, if retailers want to sell it.

"Thorough testing has now shown that E15 does not harm emissions control equipment in newer cars and light trucks," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement. "Wherever sound science and the law support steps to allow more homegrown fuels in America's vehicles, this administration takes those steps."

The move, which comes less than a month before November's midterm elections, is politically popular in rural farm areas. But ethanol faces strong opposition from the auto industry, environmentalists, cattle ranchers, food companies and a broad coalition of other groups.

Opponents argue that the increase in production of corn and its diversion into ethanol is making animal feed more expensive, raising prices at the grocery store and tearing up the land. Manufacturers of smaller engines — used in everything from lawn mowers to boats — also oppose increasing the use of the fuel, saying those engines are not designed for the higher concentrations.

The Obama administration has remained supportive of the renewable fuel, and the EPA has said a congressional mandate for increased ethanol use can't be achieved without allowing higher blends. Congress has required refiners to blend 36 billion gallons of biofuels, mostly ethanol, into auto fuel by 2022.

The ethanol industry has maintained that there is sufficient evidence to show that a 15 percent ethanol blend in motor fuel will not harm engine performance. They say increased consumption of the renewable fuel creates new jobs and replaces imported oil.

The industry group Growth Energy petitioned the EPA to raise the blend in March. The decision was initially expected in December but was delayed twice as the agency and the Energy Department completed additional testing. The EPA is expected to make a second decision on the ethanol concentration allowed in cars manufactured between 2001 and 2006 after more testing is completed at the end of November.

The agency said there will not be a decision this year on ethanol changes for cars and light trucks manufactured before 2001 — or for any motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, or non-road engines — because there is not sufficient testing to support such an approval.

The decision could cause confusion at service stations as people would have to consider which pump to use based on the age of their car. The EPA said it will also propose new pump labeling requirements to help consumers figure out which gas to use.

Critics said the decision could be a frustration to drivers.

"We're really going to make the consumers a guinea pig here," said Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group, an environmental advocacy group that opposes increases in the fuel. "Have we really thought through what it's going to take to distinguish E15 to E10?"

The Obama administration's decision to boost the ethanol concentration in gasoline is a victory for the industry as it struggles to hold on to other subsidies. An increased public skepticism of the renewable fuel has caused some lawmakers who have always championed ethanol to divert the money to other priorities. A key tax credit is scheduled to expire at the end of this year, and some in Congress are considering cutting it or doing away with it altogether.

Ethanol producers say expiration of the credits, which are paid to oil companies as an incentive to blend gasoline with ethanol, could mean the loss of almost 40 percent of the industry's plants and tougher times for a domestic fuel that is good for national security.

Critics say the industry should stand on its own after receiving subsidies for 30 years and argue the tax credits are a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[forza1976]

Well BMW says no to E15 (raceyBMW pointed me to this link)...

http://www.bimmerfile.com/2010/10/14...e15-gas-blend/

[ShastaMan]

It states 10% Ethanol is the max.

[wakeboarder109]

that's bullshit!

[jopa489]

Ugh. That just sucks, no other way to say it. Only hope now is that they will find some reason to still recommend 10% for older cars. That way, most gas stations will keep it at 10%. Guess it's time to pay more attention to which stations label their pumps as 10% max or 15% max.

[danchee]

Fuck that. If they add ethanol, the gas prices better be at least 15% cheaper. We're already subsidizing the bastards planting corn. Now they want us to double pay even more?

[IN54NITY]

Originally Posted by danchee

Fuck that. If they add ethanol, the gas prices better be at least 15% cheaper. We're already subsidizing the bastards planting corn. Now they want us to double pay even more?

Agree. Ethanol as fuel is not a viable option, as mentioned in the Bimmerfile article. If I remember correctly energy gain with ethanol made from corn is only 10%, sugar cane (Brazil, etc) is 30%. (I can't remember this number either.) Nonetheless, it's a pure political action. To answer this thread's title: I'm not going to find out, I'm going to try to keep my number of HPFP failures to one. As stated above:

[Rick4345]

I wonder how it could have an adverse effect. My department is getting cars that are E85 compatible. The guys I work with say their cars run about the same, but the gas mileage sucks. I wonder what another 5 percent is going to matter. If you run a car using the Top Tier brands recommended and your engine doesn't have much carbon build up in the valvetrain, I wouldn't think it would be a problem. Now if on the other hand, your valvetrain is carboned up there could be a problem. I know that when ethanol became popular, people were having problems with their fuel systems clogging up because the ethanol blend was removing the varnish build up. Maybe BMW recommended the 10 percent blend because that was the normal concentration in production.

[danchee]

It's the corrosion. E85 capable vehicles have a lot of their hoses and engine components reworked to withstand corrosion from Ethanol.

[joots]

sucks.

[fdriller9]

It's all about tree-huggers...

http://www.biodieselinvesting.com/et...fuel-benefits/

Ethanol in fact contains less energy than gasoline....less mileage with an estimated 20-30% decrease in fuel economy.

Also corn, which is one of the main sources of ethanol, is used for a number of other products. So demand will rise....which mean prices will rise. And paying more for less fuel economy doesn't make sense.

Because corn needs to be grown, land is also being destroyed because farmers will grow until there are no more nutrients in the soil. They then more to new areas and repeat the cycle.

Ethanol is eventually going to ruin our economy.....just because it's easier to make doesn't mean it's a better solution.

[The Ringer]

Originally Posted by *********

It's all about tree-huggers...

Careful now....I would consider myself a tree-hugger, but that does NOT mean I support corn-based ethanol fuels. Especially when it comes to my beautiful BMW....

-The Ringer

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by The Ringer

Careful now....I would consider myself a tree-hugger, but that does NOT mean I support corn-based ethanol fuels. Especially when it comes to my beautiful BMW....

-The Ringer

You're right...I shouldn't be throwing that out there. I also try to reduce my carbon footprint as much as I can but I'm with you....I don't like ethanol as an additive in our fuel. My apologies.

But it really agrivates me that ethanol is inferior to gasoline yet the government is trying to be more "green" by adding ethanol to our gasoline.

We may be a step closer to becoming green, but at what cost? Only time will tell....

[danilloe90]

take corn away from food consumption both human and livestock = increase food cost all around. Basic economics, the government is F***ing things up as usual.