Quote:
Originally Posted by metrathon
Does it hurt the engine?
Will it void the warranty?
How bad does the mpg get?
If it is heavily subsidized, why is it still over $4?
On a stock 328i, will you gain anything or lose?
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In modern engines designed to run it, no. If your engine was not designed to run it, it can depending on what the seals and gaskets are made out of. Ethanol is corrosive to certain materials. Most modern vehicles can withstand this corrosion without issue. Older vehicles can't. Also, cars designed to run ethanol must have injectors capable of increased fuel delivery.
Generally speaking, E85 won't void warranties, but I don't know what BMW's specific stance is.
MPG varies by vehicle, but E85 requires 40-45% more fuel to match the power output by gasoline. However, it's important to note that ethanol has a higher ignition point, making it less prone to knocking and making it more agreeable with forced induction. If you are getting your emissions checked, ethanol is a good fuel mixture to run because your emission output will be lower than with normal gas.
E85 prices are subjective to region. Here in Minnesota, as well as in places like Iowa and South Dakota, E85 is less expensive since a lot of ethanol is produced locally. The farther ethanol has to travel, the more expensive it is. Ethanol can't be transported by conventional pipelines like gasoline and petroleum, as the ethanol will eat the seals and can cause leaks and rupture. As a result, it can only be transported by rail car or tractor/trailer containers designed to carry it. Ethanol requires a LOT of electricity, as well as a lot of water to produce it. This is a cost that gets added in, and is affected by electricity prices. Since E85 is inherently inefficient and a poor fuel choice, not a lot of people use it. Since the demand is not high enough, the cost is higher to offset the costs. E85 is actually even more expensive, but it's being subsidized federally. Not only that, but the money coming from the E85 has to help with funding to keep things rolling so that the subsidies can also be doled out to the farmers who are producing the corn.
I originally grew up in farm country and have cousins that still grow corn and sell it for ethanol. None of them use ethanol, and I know farmers across Minnesota and South Dakota, and none of them use E85 either. Almost all of them sell their corn, despite several having cattle. They make more money by selling the corn and growing additional crops of things like sorghum, hay and turnips than just straight feeding corn to the cows. Corn prices are so high that many farmers aren't feeding it to cows anymore because it's not cost effective. E85 is essentially a farm subsidy.
Biodiesel from vegetable oils or from blue algae is actually a very legit fuel source with a future. E85 will hopefully die.