Performance hit

[vakkotaur]

In the Spring and in the Fall there are times when I don't need to run the rear window defogger or the air conditioner in my car. If I drive mostly highway miles on a tank of gas then, I can get almost 40 mpg. Almost. Somehow I never quite seem to make it to 40 mpg. The last tank, however, did it. I got better than 42 mpg. While it was mostly

Comments

[shelbystripes]

I suppose the pressing difference is, what's the price difference between gas in Wisconson and gas in Minnesota? (And, for bonus points, what's the price difference before adding state sales taxes, if they list such things publically?)

[vakkotaur]

The price of a gallon of gas in Fairmont, MN is $1.95_9 a gallon ($0.05/gallon less if you have a coupon and gas up at the Cenex station - $1.99_9 if you fall for Super America by the Interstate). That was the case both before and after I was last in Wisconsin. I think, I'm not sure though, the price of gasoline in Merrill, WI (a town of similar size to Fairmont, btw) was $2.11_9 when I was there.

According to some Googling...
Wisconsin's gasoline tax is $0.303/gallon. (second only to NY)
Minnesota's gasoline tax is $0.20/gallon.

So, subtracting the tax:
WI: $1.81_6
MN: $1.75_9 ($1.70_9 at Cenex)

[shelbystripes]

Assuming WI at 42mpg, that's 4.32 cents per mile (or $4.32 per 100 miles).

Assuming MN at 39mpg (it's less than 40), that's 4.51 cents per mile (or $4.51 per 100 miles; Cenex would be $4.38 per 100 miles).

So it would seem that the cost-effectiveness ratio, pre-tax, makes the pure gasoline the better buy, slightly. Too bad it's not offered in MN, since not only are you paying higher taxes in WI, but those tax dollars aren't actually benefitting you since you're in Minnesota.

[vakkotaur]

Non-ethanol blend is available in Minnesota, but it's not easy to find. I think I could find kerosene more easily. I'm not sure, but I think it may require a permit indicating that the machine it's going to can't tolerate ethanol. Yep, the 10% ethanol blend is a state mandate. There has been some discussion of going to 20% - as soon as a significant number of vehicles can take it. That proposal hasn't gone anywhere so far.

I suppose I could pop down to Armstrong, IA to refuel but it'd be wasteful to make that trip just to fill the tank.

[aedifica]

Hmm. I hadn't been aware there was ethanol in Minnesota's gas. Iowa puts ethanol in their mid-grade gas, which brings the price down equal to the lower grade. When I buy gas in Iowa, I usually get better gas mileage - must be because of the grade, then (in Minnesota I buy the lower grade because of the price).

I think that could have been more gracefully worded, but I'm sleepy! G'night.

[vakkotaur]

Yep. It's a 10% ethanol blend by state law. Folks with machines that simply can't take an ethanol blend are allowed to get a non-ethanol blend if they can find it. I couldn't find the details in a very short web search. I did find this bit of law on petroleum product specifications in Minnesota.

[jmaynard]

That's what's in those pumps labeled "for collector vehicles or those eligible to be licensed as collector vehicles only". There's one at the Cenex in Truman.

The Mighty Audi 100. Not.

[pharwarner]

Ethanol gets put into some petrol in the Eastern states here. And there was a scandal in New South Wales or Victoria about illegal sales of discount fuel that had huge percentages of ethanol in it. It wrecked quite a few folk's engines. We're lucky in WA to have very good quality petrol without any additives. After all those problems in the east, ethanol has had such bad press that I don't think people will accept it.

Volkswagens have such low octane requirements that I doubt they'd notice the ethanol. Certain models of the 1200cc engine in Brazil were made that would actually run on 100% ethanol. The fuel we all run on now would have once been considered to be practically avgas in octane rating and quality.

Reminds me of the Audi 100 needing to be run on avgas when it came out here. Even Super wasn't enough for it to run properly on. I should check to see if there was a substantial difference in fuel quality between here and Europe then, as I've never had the whole Audi 100 situation satisfactorily explained to me.

Re: The Mighty Audi 100. Not.

[vakkotaur]

In the 1970s the 10% ethanol blend was called "gasohol" and was suggested as a first step. The vehicles of the day were not made with ethanol in mind and there were stories of how the alcohol would attack gaskets and hoses. I think all modern vehicles here can take 10% ethanol, but warn against using blends with a higher alcohol content. There are a few exceptions. A few "flexible fuel vehicles" can take E85 (85% ethanol). This is a bit cheaper per gallon, but not enough to offset the lower energy density.

[altivo]

The primary argument for ethanol is not based on energy density, but rather on the fact that it is made from a readily renewable resource, such as corn. That still stands as an advantage.

[vakkotaur]

It is appealing, but it is only an advantage if the amount of energy used to get the ethanol is less than the amount that the ethanol provides. If it is not better than break-even, then there is no real benefit.