AAA Urges EPA to Halt Approval of E15

[goldstar]

According to an article in the Detroit News, AAA has asked the Obama administration to stop the sale of E15 because of possible engine damage to most vehicles on the nation's roads.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121130/AUTO01/211300415

AAA found in a survey that there is a strong potential for consumer confusion, voided warranties and vehicle damage as a result of the EPAs recent approval of E15 for 2001 and newer model vehicles. Of the driver's surveyed, nearly all, or 95%, had not heard of E15.

All vehicles on the road can safely use E10. Corn farmers and processors successfully petitioned the EPA to approve E15 for all vehicles 2001 and newer even though less than 5% of cars on the road have been approved by automakers to use the fuel.

AAA determined from surveying the auto manufacturers that only 12 million out of the more than 240 million light duty vehicles on the roads today are approved for use of E15. GM and Ford have approved usage of E15 in new model vehicles only but Chrysler said that it still doesn't approve of the use of E15 for any of its vehicles. BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and VW are on record saying that their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by the use of E15. Additionally, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo said E15 does not comply with the fuel requirements specifed in their owner's manuals and it's use may void warranty coverage.

Vehicles currently approved by automakers for E15 use are flex-fuel models that can run on E85, 2001 model year and newer Porsches, 2012 model year and newer GM vehicles and 2013 model year Ford vehicles. EPA has prohibited the use of E15 in heavy duty vehicles, boats, motorcycles, power equipment, lawn mowers and off road vehicles.

All major automakers, including Detroit's Big Three, unsuccessfully filed suit in December 2010 in the U.S. Court of Appeals in DC to block the sale of E15 stating it could corrode engines. The U.S. House voted last year to block E15 but the Senate refused to act. Automakers and many other groups asked congress to act to bar the sale of the fuel. These included the American Bakers Association, American Meat Institute, American Petroleum Institute (API), National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, and Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

If this mandate is not overturned, and E15 becomes more widely available, use caution when taking on fuel to prevent possible engine damage to your car.

Once again, it seems the bureaucrats are in control.

Happy Motoring!

[jay]

This is perfectly in line with their other rule that told power plants they have to implement pollution controls, tech that does not exist except in the twisted minds of these godam bureaucrats, and is fining them for noncompliance. When EPA's own staff vehicles blow up from using e15, they'll just charge it off on us tax sheep, who will of course be SOL when our cars blow up. What a bunch of crap.

[FE3-323]

not good!!!

[ThatGreenBG]

I feel like I read a recent piece somewhere about someone who went out and tested E10 samples from various stations and found that an alarmingly high number of the samples had actual ethanol mixtures of 15 to 2X%. Imagine the mixtures if they put E15-labeled fuel on the market... Ethanol is a joke anyway. Yeah, it's good for American farmers and all that hooplah, but it's so damn wasteful that all it has going for it is "renewability". Plus, when was the last time you saw a station with ethanol? Oh, right, there's only one and it's 200 miles away. They should be investing time and energy into other fuels, such as hydrogen.

[jay]

By the time you factor in all the inputs, it isn't even renewable. Net loss across the board. Beyond stupid.

[goldstar]

^
Exactly. Since E15 represents a 50% increase in the amount of ethanol in automotive fuel over E10, expect a further reduction in fuel mileage due to its lower energy density with respect to gasoline. To say nothing of a further increase in food prices due to corn's decreased availability and consequent higher prices as a food source.

With the current government's war on traditional souces of energy - coal and oil - expect all our energy prices to increase.

Happy Motoring!

[jinx]

Plus, when was the last time you saw a station with ethanol? Oh, right, there's only one and it's 200 miles away.

There's a handful stations just around me that have E85 at the pumps. Been that way for awhile now. The turnpike plazas also pump E85

[ThatGreenBG]

^Noted. There are only a couple near me. The point I was making is that if people think it's so good, why doesn't every station have it?

[goldstar]

^
Probably because there aren't that many flex fuel vehicles on the road yet. In terms of thinking that flex fuel vehicles are "good" is certainly not the result of increased efficiency. On E85, fuel consumption is considerably higher than on E10 due to ethanol's lower energy density. In flex fuel vehicles, the CR (and consequent thermal efficiency) cannot be raised high enough to take advantage of ethanol's higher octane rating as it must remain low enough to utilize E10. IMO, the only good that comes from driving a flex fuel vehicle is the driver's belief that he or she is doing something environmentally beneficial. A belief not shared by everyone.

Happy Motoring!

[KAinjection]

Good point on the compression ratio. So its basically worthless, especially when you consider the crappy fuel mileage you get with it.

I wish they would just bring back 93+ octane and stop selling us lower octane while raising the price. We pay more, they give us less.

[1st Gen]

I remember back when, 2004 ish when America was pushing so hard for corn based ethanol. A lot of people were asking why we're trying to rely on a substitute that actually used more fuel to make than it saved in conservation? Then there was the whole issue with dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico from all that fertilizer being over used. And we can't forget the food shortages around the world.
Who really benefited from this K street coup? Monsanto, DuPont, ConAgra, ect.
You know, I wonder how this whole program has affected Ohio?

[D323]

http://pure-gas.org/

There are not any very close to me at the moment, but there are stations out there.