E85, Flex Fuel Engine?

[Ty]

All other arguments a side when you buy E85 it can legally be any thing from 85 to 100% alcohol. (most likely 100% as gasoline is the expensive component). You can of course use 100% gasoline. That means the mixture in your tank can be almost anything.

The sensor it takes to analyze this and make the appropriate air\fuel mixture adjustments is hellaciously expensive and would blow the <$7K mark out of the water.

ASTM 5798 specifies the allowable fuel ethanol content in E85 as ranging from 51% to 83%

Which is something I didn't know. The government pays $.45 for every gallon sold so, yay to be a tax payer promoting something that cuts tailpipe emissions at the expense of 33% energy content. However, Ethanol does increase the octane rating and if someone were to set an engine up right, get the compression ratio high enough, it is possible they could equal if not exceed the efficiency of gasoline.

 

[KN16]

ASTM 5798 specifies the allowable fuel ethanol content in E85 as ranging from 51% to 83%

Which is something I didn't know. The government pays $.45 for every gallon sold so, yay to be a tax payer promoting something that cuts tailpipe emissions at the expense of 33% energy content. However, Ethanol does increase the octane rating and if someone were to set an engine up right, get the compression ratio high enough, it is possible they could equal if not exceed the efficiency of gasoline.

I think you'll find those are the minimums. I've personally sampled E85 from a Chicago area gas station and found it to be 100% alky.

Alky is often used to make high HP engines. Many monster motor "pro street" cars use it because it's easier to live with than gasoline in an extreme engine. You will be using that alky at aprox. twice the rate of gasoline.

In other words if you were running alky in your Elio and running with a friend burning gasoline you'd have to refill about the time his gas gauge was showing 1/2.

 

[H2odog]

Yeah, but if you find yourself in Buzzsaw, AL and nobody had anything but E85 you could pump a gallon or two or a tankful and beat it up the highway to civilization without fear of messing up your new rides engine. Poor planning, but just saying.

 

[H2odog]

Will, or should, the production engine be set up as a flex fuel engine?

Elio says it will be set up for E85.

 

[KN16]

Elio says it will be set up for E85.

I haven't seen that but if for some strange reason you wanted one you wouldn't get it for under $7K

 

[H2odog]

I haven't seen that but if for some strange reason you wanted one you wouldn't get it for under $7K

Seems like I saw that on the Elio blog.

 

[ecdriver711]

Just give me regular. Tired of paying so much for gas. Elio will help me out with that issue.

 

[DBN477]

Diesel? We can thank GM for destroying the diesel car market in the early 80's. Many complain about Europeans, but they have enjoyed higher mpg diesels for many years.

And yet here we are in 2014 with a diesel engine in a Chevrolet Cruze, and next year a diesel in a mid-size pickup (Colorado/Canyon).

Look at what is available, and with worldwide emissions getting stricter, a motorcycle like the Elio should have no problem with emissions.

http://green.autoblog.com/2011/04/2...-0-liter-3-cylinder-turbodiesel-engine-in-ch/
http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/tata-nano-cars/tata-motors-to-launch-more-powerful-3-cylinder-nano/

http://www.leftlanenews.com/tata-nano-to-get-two-cylinder-diesel.html

 

[Carroll Whittle]

NO, NO, NO---ethanol is garbage in a combustion engine. Here in the South , it has ruined more both small and large engines and thinking folks want no part of it!!!

I live in Texas and been using 10% ethanol gas for nine years in all my vehicles...never had a single problem....put shell with no ethanol in my 1300 cc motorcycle and got 25 MPG....put Murphy USA gas from Walmart in it and got 47MPG...been using it for nine years...no problems...used it in Mercury Sable..Nissan Pickup...Ford Crown Victoria...Chevy Colorado...Chevy Cruze...no problems and will use it in my RED ELIO TOO.......cant wait to get mine #1432 Carroll R. Whittle....proud supporter of ELIO MOTORS.....

 

[Dustoff]

The Elio will be compatible with up to E15. I asked Elio this question in an e-mail in April.

Most of the gasoline now sold contains some ethanol, but the exact amount varies by region. In general, the ethanol content does not exceed 10% by volume. Gasoline with 10% ethanol content is referred to as E10 and with 15% ethanol as E15. E85 means there is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Most of the gasoline with more than 10% ethanol is sold in the Midwest.
All gasoline vehicles can use E10. Currently only light-duty vehicles with a model year 2001 or greater can use E15. Only "flex-fuel" vehicles can use gasoline with an ethanol content greater than E15.
The energy content of ethanol is about 33% less than "pure" gasoline, although this varies depending on the amount of denaturant that is added to the ethanol. Thus, vehicle fuel economy may decrease by up to 3.3% when using E10.

I hope this helps.