E85 or Biodiesel Fueled Vehicles - Which Is The Best One For You?

By: Gregg Camp
Submitted: 2009-07-28 12:57:15
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With the advent of the green movement, a number of alternative fuel vehicles are starting to become more available to the consumer.  Two choices available today include flex fuel vehicles, which make use of E85 fuels, and biodiesel vehicles. Each of these alternative fuels has their good points and problems; the trick is to understand each one and decide which will fit your needs. These alternative fuels might be a great way to help conserve both the environment and your money as you drive around the coastal properties.

For many people, a flex fuel vehicle is seen as a stepping stone between the old gasoline combustion engines and future transportation methods.  These types of vehicles use E85 fuel, which is a type of motor fuel blend that contains 85% ethanol, and 15% gasoline.  It has a number of great assets including higher octane levels, comparable fuel mileage, less production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and less reliance on foreign petroleum.  Drawbacks, however, include variable performance, and a somewhat limited availability of E85 fuel.

For many cars, their performance depends greatly on whether or not they can get the most from their fuel.  Undoubtedly you have seen gasoline pumps which have designated octane levels indicated on the side, ranging from 85 to 93 octane level near various coastal properties. This octane level indicates the amount of fuel that can be compressed by the cylinder before it ignites due to compression instead of being ignited by the spark plug.  The higher the octane level that your car uses, the less chance of knocking and the greater the available horsepower for your engine to use.  If your vehicle's engine can handle it, this is where the higher octane levels of E85, namely between 95 and 97 can be great for the performance.

Another great advantage of flex fuel vehicles and E85 fuel is their lower impact on the environment, and their ability to lower this countries dependence on foreign petroleum products. Ethanol is created from corn and other plant based products.  Anyone living in the Midwest and Central United States would tell you that this renewable resource is in good supply. Also, the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is less throughout the production and consumption of this fuel, generally speaking, though some content otherwise. There is a wide range of current research on algae's that produce oil that has a potential to cut down on this concern of using a lot of fossil fuels in the production of something that it is trying to eliminate.

Of course, just like any alternative fuel available on the market today, there are some drawbacks.  One of them is the fact that not all of the vehicles on the road today are designed to utilize E85 fuels. While it is possible to retrofit older vehicles, it is usually a cost prohibitive process. In addition, not every region of the United States has the E85 fuel available for use.  hankfully this is rapidly changing as the popularity of flex fuel vehicles grows.  If you're interested in learning more about how E85 fuel is being incorporated into American life, be sure to take a look at the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (E85fuel dot com).  This is a non-profit organization that promotes the use of this alternative fuel source.

If you don't want to make the investment of a new flex fuel vehicle, or search out E85 fueling stations in your neighborhood, a possible alternative is to make use of biodiesel.  Biodiesel is a domestic, renewable fuel for diesel engines that comes from natural oils like soybean or vegetable oil, and must meet the specifications of ASTM D-6751.  It contains no petroleum, but it can be easily blended with any amount of petroleum diesel gasoline.  It can also be used in many normal diesel engines without the major mechanical modifications necessary for E85 fuel usage.  It is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and is essentially void of sulfur and aromatics.

Many metropolitan areas are exploring the idea of using biodiesel fuels in their buses and other public transportation vehicles.  It makes sense, considering it is already a registered fuel additive, and many fleets can be switched over to this fueling method with minimal initial cost. Not only that, but this fuel type is supported by a number of governmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy as a viable option and many communities with coastal properties are realizing how little impact this fuel could have on the environment. States, such as Texas and Minnesota have designed regulations to encourage the use of this alternative fuel. 

With all these advantages, one would wonder why more people are not taking advantage of this alternative fuel.  One of the current disadvantages of biodiesel is that it is a little more expensive, and a little less available for public consumption.  Also, the production of biodiesel requires a significant amount of arable land use, since plant material is used in its production.  There is also some evidence of increased nitrogen oxide emission from biodiesel vehicles, and slightly lower mileage.  Finally, biodiesel because of its chemical nature will not easily flow at lower temperatures, making it use in colder climates problematic.  However, advances occurs all the time, as detailed by the National Biodiesel Board. You can read more on that at (biodiesel.org).

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