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Ethanol: The “cheap gas” that will replace high-priced petroleum?

High gas prices have been a thorn in the side of all drivers for the last few years, as they continue to steadily rise. That is why alternative fuels such as ethanol have gained so much attention during the same period. Some believe that it can be the savior of America’s energy policy, while others see it as a fad that is made popular by subsidized corporate backers.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about ethanol. The reality of its role as a viable alternative to petroleum-based gasoline is a lot more complex. Though currently not as common available or used as gasoline, it could become a prominent part of the U.S. and world fuel supply in the coming years.

What is ethanol?
Ethanol is a fuel derived from plants. In the United States, the primary plant that is used is corn. The process of making corn into fuel involves grounding it into a fine powder, adding water and then heating it. Then an enzyme is added to convert the mixture into sugars which are then fermented with yeast. The resulting is a liquid that is about 10% alcohol. Through distillation, the alcohol is separated and used as ethanol fuel.

Why the buzz about ethanol?
Ethanol has a number of advantages over gasoline. Firstly, it is a renewable resource and it burns much cleaner. Secondly, it can be produced domestically, cutting our dependence on foreign oil. Brazil has had great success in reducing foreign imports to almost nothing by the use of domestically produced ethanol.

Drawbacks?
One of the main drawbacks to ethanol production in the U.S. is the reliance on corn. Brazil’s decades-old program, one of the first of its kind and most successful, relies on sugarcane. Since the U.S. is a large producer of corn and does not have the capability to significantly grow sugarcane, corn-based ethanol is what the U.S. produces. Not only does corn-based ethanol create significantly less energy than sugarcane when compared to the effort required to produce it, but it is also much more costly.

Another drawback to corn-based ethanol is the impact it has on the food market. The fuel supply and the food supply compete for the same resource, driving up prices and straining supply.

Solutions
With the number of drawbacks that the U.S. ethanol industry has had, there is great hope in the future. Technology is advancing to the point where we will not be relying on corn for our ethanol, but rather bio-waste. From the leftovers of food to such things as plastic bags, using material that would otherwise end up in a landfill to produce ethanol fuel will have a major positive impact on the market.

Get Federal Tax Breaks – Own An Ethanol Or Hybrid Vehicle

When you filed your federal tax return this year, you might have noticed an option if you own an alternative fuel car. The government is giving tax credits to those who use alternative fuel vehicles, which started in 2006. The United States is looking at a way to promote greener cars to help the environment. The country is trying to push consumers to get more fuel efficient vehicles with its ethanol fuel tax breaks.

A tax credit works better than a tax deduction. A credit takes away money dollar-for-dollar on your taxes and a deduction is just a percentage. Getting an ethanol vehicle will not only save you at the pump, but also on your taxes for the year you buy the car.

There are certain cars that are eligible. Hybrid vehicles are eligible for the ethanol fuel tax breaks if the hybrid uses less gas than an average vehicle of similar weight. The car also has to meet emissions standards to qualify.

The ethanol fuel tax breaks really help consumers because one of the knocks on alternative fuel vehicles is that the cars are too expensive. If you want to convert existing gas vehicles than you spend money on top of the car’s price. Hybrid vehicles usually cost thousands more than their gasoline counterparts. In some of the more expensive cars, such as hybrid SUVs, it takes several years to make the money back in gas savings. However, with the government’s ethanol fuel tax breaks, the savings will come much quicker. The tax credit can range between 0-,400 depending on the gas economy and the weight of the car.

There are some states that already offer advantages to its residents who use alternative fuel cars. California, Texas and Florida allow drivers who have ethanol or other alternative fuel vehicles to drive in the car pool lane even if they are all by themselves. Using alternative fuel cars is saving gas just as the carpoolers do, so they are given the same advantages. This is just another benefit to owning an alternative fuel vehicle.

Ethanol vehicles do more than give people ethanol fuel tax breaks. The car will help you save money at the pump because ethanol and E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) are cheaper than the gasoline at the pump right now. The mileage is also better, usually between 10 to 50 percent greater than gasoline vehicles as well.

By driving ethanol vehicles you are gaining advantages that other people cannot get. You save money with gas, get to your destination quicker in the car pool lane and get money back with the ethanol fuel tax breaks.

Understanding Ethanol And Bioalcohol

With so much talk going around regarding the current state of the environment and how to fix it, it can be incredibly difficult to understand everything. Various phrases and terms are appearing in the news, magazines and just about everywhere else. Terms like ethanol and bioalcohol have been around for many years already. However, understanding what they are and what they do requires some clarification for many people. Both bioalcohol and ethanol are viable fossil fuel alternatives. Knowing more about them is essential when it comes to selecting an alternative source that you can feel good about.

Bioalcohol is simply an alcohol that is derived from biological resources instead of from petroleum. Ethanol is also a form of alcohol. It is often derived from natural sources such as corn fields. Ethanol has been in use over the years as an additive to regular gasoline. It can assist in the way gasoline burns in your car as well as the level of toxins found in your emissions. Most of the ethanol currently in use is grown and harvested in corn fields in the Midwest. Ethanol certainly is not a new idea but it does seem to be increasing significantly in popularity.

Many gas stations offer an ethanol alternative or ethanol blended petroleum to drivers that seek a better way to get the most out of their current vehicle. Flex fuel vehicles are surging in consumer trends. They are designed so that the driver can use either regular gasoline or ethanol instead. Ethanol was originally started as a means to slow the consumption of oil. It also makes your fuel burn much cleaner but it remains to be seen how ethanol’s role will change as time goes on.

Bioalcohol and ethanol use is directly related to the economy and the ever changing gas trends and prices. If gas continues to go up in price then there is a great chance ethanol will become a product that is demanded more than it is now. Not only is the fossil fuel industry unpredictable in terms of economy, it also is not safe for the environment. Ethanol is currently one of the leading fuel alternatives. It could be something that may be worth taking a closer look at when it comes to finding a mainstream alternative.

Biofuel sources are already quite widely used in places like Brazil. Though it is available in the United States, it isn’t something that is being used as often as perhaps it should be. It currently is not a main source of fuel though it is widely found and made available. Perhaps it is more of a consumer choice. The only real setback that is associated with the use of ethanol and bioalcohol is that it is not as inexpensive to produce as some might assume. It is currently still cheaper to produce fossil fuels than the alternatives. Until that changes, moving ahead towards a greener earth may take longer than anticipated. It’s important to understand the alternatives so that you can make the best consumer choice possible.

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Ethanol Power From Saab

Saab is continuing its drive to produce vehicles that runs on cleaner burning fuels. They have already made to the public a 9-5 BioPower which run on E85 fuel which is a combination of 85 percent bio-ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. This is similar to Volvo models which run on the same fuel. This may seem not enough for the car manufacturer since at the forthcoming 2007 Geneva Motor Show; they will be showcasing a 9-5 wagon which is equipped with a 2.0-liter engine that runs on E100 or 100 percent bio-ethanol. The concept car will be shown to the public as a testament of the car maker’s dedication to developing cleaner engines. The use of 100 percent fuel in an engine is a great stride forward in the use of alternative fuels.

In connection with the unveiling of the concept car, GM Powertrain CEO Kjell ac Bergstrom has this to say: “Bio-ethanol is a potent, high quality fuel which opens up exciting possibilities in helping to meet the environmental challenges that face us. As the need to reduce energy consumption increases, we are exploring ways to run smaller engines that give relatively high power, with and without hybrid technology. This concept car shows that ethanol can play a key role in this ‘right-sizing’ process, while also minimizing fossil fuel emissions.”

The Saab 9-5 BioPower 100 concept car’s engine is the first of its kind to run on pure ethanol. The design of the car’s engine components optimizes the capacity of the engine. The 2.0-liter engine can produce as much as 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. That torque is essential for acceleration, given that amount of pulling force; the concept car can be propelled to 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just 6.6 seconds. This acceleration is complemented by a high top speed; thanks to the 300 horsepower that the engine packs. Aside from this, aftermarket parts can be installed to decrease the drag and increase the traction of the wheels on road surfaces. Spoilers can be used to achieve this, just like those Volvos which use a Volvo spoiler to boost performance.

Using 100 percent ethanol or anhydrous ethanol as a fuel is a good alternative to gasoline. This is because ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline, reducing emissions by as much as 85 percent. This is why flexi-fuel vehicles or those that runs on a combination of gasoline and ethanol has cleaner emission than those that runs on gasoline alone. Those engines that use ethanol as fuel, just like the Saab concept car uses looks just like a conventional gasoline engine with just a few modifications. Some of these modifications are done to combat the corrosive nature of ethanol. Some engine components need to be fortified to take on the corrosiveness of this alternative fuel. Another reason why ethanol is a good alternative to gasoline is that it is a renewable source of energy. Ethanol comes from starch or sugar from a wide variety of crops like corn and sugarcane.

The only problem facing the development of ethanol as an alternative fuel is that in its production, fossil fuels are still used. This poses a question if the good effects of using ethanol as fuel for vehicles can upset the emission produced on the production of the said fuel. The concept car also remains to be seen if it is feasible to be mass produced since no filling station has yet to offer 100 percent ethanol. The future of this technology still remains to be seen depending on the way the public will accept it.

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Indycar Series to Use Pure Ethanol for 2007 Season

Alternative fuels have been receiving much attention lately due to the increasing awareness of global warming and the dedication of the U.S. government to reduce dependency on foreign oil. Several companies in the alternative fuel industry have been making great leap in the development of fuels which can be substituted for gasoline.

Biodiesel is one of the alternative fuels being developed along with ethanol. Currently, there are already cars and vehicles on the road which run on fuel composed of ethanol and gasoline. The use of ethanol is widely supported by the government since it is proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Recently, ethanol, as a substitute for gasoline, found a new ally in the form of the IndyCar Series. The open-wheel racing series highlighted by the famous Indianapolis 500 will use pure ethanol as its fuel for the upcoming season.

The series will be making motor sports history when it opens the season with the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 on March 24 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The racing series will be the first ever motor sport which will use pure ethanol as fuel for the supplied 3.5 liter Honda Indy V8 engines. The sport will be setting the record for a racing series to use a renewable fuel which is a step towards the “Greening of Racing”.

Ethanol will replace methanol which has served as the fuel of choice for the series for over forty years. Tony Kanaan, the series’ champion in 2004, has this to say about the use of ethanol: “The IndyCar Series jump to ethanol has been great. We are definitely on the right path with ethanol. There is more power with the new (3.5-liter Honda Indy V-8) engine. It runs clean and it is better for the environment. So it is a win-win situation, and that is great for the series. Ethanol is another alternative to gasoline. If we can show that the IndyCar Series cars can run ethanol, then it is good for everyone’s street cars.”

The use of ethanol in vehicles such as those used in racing is a good choice since the fuel possesses characteristics which suit the need for more power of these race cars. Ethanol has a higher octane rating than methanol. This means that ethanol resists premature detonation better than the previously used methanol.

Premature detonation reduces the amount of power generated per volume of fuel. Knocking also increases the fuel consumption since the engine needs to compensate for the loss of power by providing more fuel to be burned.

In cases of high performance vehicles, the 113 octane rating of ethanol is more desirable compared to the 107 octane rating of methanol. The fact that ethanol comes from agricultural products which are renewable adds to the appeal of the fuel as a substitute for gasoline and in the case of racing, methanol.

For all the power provided by ethanol, it produces fewer emissions than either gasoline or methanol. The cool looking cars of the series, although without headlights which makes them not applicable to have that Lund look of high quality headlights, are driven up to speeds of more than 230 miles per hour surely needed that extra power from ethanol.

The clean efficiency of ethanol has really received a good ally in the form of the series. The cars will have more power while producing less harmful emissions. And this means that both popular racing series, the alternative fuel industry, and the environment as well as the public will benefit from this action from IndyCar.

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Sweden Leads Ethanol Drive

The spotlight is zooming in on America as a champion in transforming road machines into green vehicles. But a small country with just 4.2 million cars has started the initiative ages ago and is now far ahead. With the help of a number of auto giants, Sweden is leading the ethanol drive – a scheme designed to put more green vehicles on the roads.

“Sweden has made a major commitment to ethanol,” Michael Wood, the United States ambassador to Sweden and a Flint native, said in an interview in Detroit.

How dedicated is Sweden? In 2006, the country started converting smuggled beer, wine and hard alcohol into biofuel used to run trucks and buses. In 2007, Sweden turned 180,000 gallons of alcohol into biofuel.

Some vodka distilleries are switching to ethanol production and some paper mills in northern Sweden are working to develop cellulosic ethanol, said Bo Andersson, a Swedish native and General Motors Corp.’s vice president for global purchasing.

Sweden has cuddled ethanol unlike any other country outside Brazil. By far, the Nordic nation is the most successful. As such, it could serve as a worthy model for America in its goal to slash foreign oil reliance.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other Michigan officials are looking to Sweden for guidance and see the push for alternative fuels there and the transformation in various industries as something that could be emulated here. The governor made a trip to Sweden last year and has praised the country’s commitment to alternative energy. She said Michigan must follow suit and is planning a summit of Michigan and Swedish energy leaders later this year in Michigan.

“To understand the connection between renewable energy and jobs, just look at Sweden – a country with striking resemblances to our state: the same size population, similar geography with two-thirds of their land covered by forests, a strong automotive sector,” Granholm said. “Sweden set high goals for their use of renewable energy. The result? They created over 2,000 businesses and 400,000 jobs in their renewable energy sector – 400,000 jobs.”

Last year, about 12 percent of vehicles sold in Sweden were E85 models, versus an expected six percent in America. According to a Detroit News release, America has about 121 million drivers and just more than 1,200 E85 pumps, mostly in the Midwest. But Sweden has five million drivers but over 1,000 ethanol pumps. This fact is mainly attributed to a 2006 Swedish law that requires stations to have an alternative fuel pump.

The Swede government has taken steps to encourage the use of E85 vehicles while America has not. The former has given 20 percent tax break on qualified vehicles. Additionally, many local governments give flex-fuel vehicles free parking. Those benefits have been extended to hybrids in some American cities but not to the six million flex-fuel vehicles on the roads.

The American automakers should also exert more effort to achieve greener environment. To prevent dirt and sludge, there are mud flaps. But how about the protection of environment which is a more important concern?

Installation kit ethanol

These are the reasons why people are interested in developing other types of fuels and different technologies to be used for their cars. Under these circumstances, it is easy to understand why more and more people are willing to purchase an installation kit ethanol. For those who are not familiar with this item and how it works, it may seem complicated at first. Fortunately, things are not quite like that, as you will discover.
People must know that the kit bioethanol is just an instrument that allows the car to adapt its type of fuel consumption to others which are more eco-friendly and economical. Bioethanol is an alcohol obtained from the fermentation of different animal or plant sources. The installation bio ethanol is using ethanol E85, which is a mixture of a large part of ethanol with a small part of petroleum base products. The number 85 represents the percentage of the bioethanol found in the mixture. In this way, instead of using 100% petroleum products, we will use only 15% for the same quantity of fuel.
Another aspect that will rather draw people’s attention is the fact that the installation of the kit flex doesn’t require to have all kind of technical information about the vehicle. Also, the car won’t require mechanical modifications. Under these circumstances, you can certainly understand why the installation time is only 20 minutes long, whether you are a professional or you work in another industry. Afterwards, all you will need to do is to get into the car and start driving.
The kit ethanol can be used by any car manufactured after 1990, but you have to keep in mind that if you have a K-jetronic or a direct injection system on your car, then you can’t take this solution into consideration. But if your car has a gasoline engine with electronic injection with Lambda sensor, then you will be pleased to find out that you’ll have no problem in purchasing a boitier ethanol for your car. Afterwards, you will have a flex fuel car, with many advantages working in your best interest, as well as for others, if we think that this system is an eco-friendly one.
As we all can see, technologies develop really fast nowadays and even if your car is not appropriate right now for a green solution, stay in touch with the new products that show up on the market, because you don’t know when you’ll find something. An installation kit ethanol can be a great investment for you, because it is less aggressive on the environment and you can recover the investment pretty soon, because of the savings you’ll make every time you’ll put bioethanol ?85 in the car’s tank. People from more than 43 countries are pleased with this investment, so you will rather be too.

Are Ethanol And Biodiesel Compatible

To be able to fully understand if there is a relationship between ethanol and biodiesel, it will probably be a good idea to learn about them individually, this will then help you get a proper understanding of these two biofuels. You will probably find that ethanol and biodiesel are quite similar in lots of ways, therefore, consideration should be given to both of them when thinking about alternatives to fossil fuel.

Ethanol information:

Ethanol is a mildly toxic,flammable and colorless mixture of chemicals with a very noticeable perfume like smell, it is also the same type of alcohol that you will find in your nice cool beer, however, it is simply referred to as alcohol.

Ethanol has been used by humans as far back as when the dinosaurs were on the planet, and even though it has been used for more negative reasons, such as explosives because of its volatile nature, it has also been though of as positive when made into alcohol drinks and other products. Ethanol has also been used as an essence to help illness for many thousands of years, and so this is also recognized as being a positive use.

Another point to consider is, ethanol is the fuel which is at present being considered to replace fossil fuels, this is a very important topic, particularly when we consider that we are in a crazy war with Iraq and this is a country where we get most of our fuel from.

So what is biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a fuel which is been considered as diesel replacement, it is a fuel that is manufactured from biological sources, such as corn, oilseed rape and sugar beet. Although both ethanol and biodiesel are normally mixed with gas and diesel, some of the newer vehicles designs can run on pure biofuel with only very simple modifications. Lack of consumer understanding of ethanol and biodiesel is a key reason for limited confidence in it, although this is starting to change world wide.

Ethanol and biodiesel relationship:

When thinking about the relationship between ethanol and biodiesel, probably the most important thing that should be taken into consideration is that these are the two main options that are being looked at with respect to which will be better for the environment overall. Ethanol, however is considered as being the better choice, and this is for several different reasons. It is also fair to say that biodiesel as many benefits as well.

On a positive note, production of alternative fuel in the US is putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the American farming community, so this must also be taken into consideration as well.

The advantages you have by using the kit ethanol 85

For this reason, if they find viable solutions for this matter and in their best interest as well, they will be glad to act promptly in this direction. The gases and the carbon dioxide that comes from vehicles represent a significant part of the total pollution level. Under these circumstances, it is not to be wondered why technologies like the installation bio ethanol is appreciated by people from all over the world.
The fuel called bioethanol is obtained from a low quantity of petroleum based products and a large part of bioethanol, meaning 85 percent. This is the reason why the fuel is recognized as bioethanol E85. It is named “bio” because the ethanol is obtained through the fermentation of plant or animal sources, which are considered organic. So, if you use this type of fuel you will be able to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 75%, which is a really significant difference. Imagine what would mean for the environment if more and more people would use this flex fuel.
One of the advantages each person has when it comes to using a kit ethanol on their car, beside the fact that is green fuel, is the fact that it can be applied by anyone in less than 20 minutes and what is the most important is the fact that you don’t have to make any mechanical change to your car. It is a plug and drive technology, and you will be able to use your car immediately. So, if you decide to opt for this solution, you won’t have to lose precious time by waiting until the car is ready for driving.
Another advantage people have when they purchase an installation kit ethanol is the fact that they won’t lose the device if they decide to buy a new car. In this case, all you have to do is to take the kit flex from your previous car and put it on the new one. It would be really easy to install it, especially because now you know exactly what you have to do. Under these circumstances, you will have a new and an eco-friendly car, without having to buy a new boitier ethanol as well.
The bioethanol is less expensive than the regular petroleum based products, so another advantage each person has is the fact that you can save up to 40% of the fuel cost. As you can see, you will be able to recover your first investment pretty soon. And because it has a technology named “cold fire”, you will have the guarantee that you will be able to start your car right away, no matter how cold is outside. These are only a few advantages of using a kit ethanol on your car and if you are interested and you’ll make a quick research, you will rather find others as well.

California Steps Up Use of Ethanol

The call for steps to curb the threat of global warming has led California to take aggressive steps to promote the use of environment-friendly vehicles. Known as the hotbed in the United States of Asian car manufacturers, the state is known for its take on the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and the promotion of environment-friendly and renewable alternative fuels.

Recently, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted in favor of reformulating gasoline that is sold in the state. The event took place at the board’s meeting last June 14 in Fresno. The “clean air agency” voted to increase the amount of bioethanol by ten percent on gasoline sold in California.

The step taken by CARB is widely supported by ethanol as well as petroleum producers. State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is known to strongly support steps taken to promote alternative fuel which in turn reduces the greenhouse gases emitted by road-bound vehicles.

As a result of CARB’s decision, it is expected that the state government as well as environmental organizations are going to push for the implementation of the 10 percent increase in bioethanol content of California gasoline. This step will boost business for alternative fuel producers which ultimately benefits farmers who grow the crops from which bioethanol is made from.

“By incorporating a larger percentage of less expensive, renewable, clean- burning, low carbon ethanol into California’s gasoline blend, consumers, the environment and the economy all benefit,” says Bill Jones, the Chairman and Founder of Pacific Ethanol Inc. “Governor Schwarzenegger has made California a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and today’s action by the California Air Resources Board builds on that record of success. This decision is a testament to the good things that result when the business community, government and environmental stakeholders work together.”

Governor Schwarzenegger, earlier this year, called for steps like this to be taken by the state’s legislative body. And with this new development, it seems that not even a highly efficient brake system assembly like those found at Active Brakes Direct can stop the increasing popularity of bioethanol use in California.

In the past, car manufacturers are being criticized for producing numerous flex-fuel vehicles when there are very few refilling stations in the country which offers bioethanol. In fact, a study found out that 99 percent of flex fuel vehicles in the country are running on pure gasoline.

With the step being undertaken by California, the use of bioethanol can be promoted gradually. When enough installations can provide E85 fuel, it is expected that the state will once again increase the amount of ethanol on California gasoline.

“This new model for gasoline reformulation will allow a blend of up to 10 percent ethanol by volume to be sold in California. Until this landmark decision was made, California’s gasoline blend contained one of the lowest percentages of ethanol in the country,” says Larry Gross, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Alta Biofuels. “This action will increase the market for ethanol by 600 million gallons a year in essence increasing fuel supply by over 4 percent which will have a very positive impact on total fuel supply.”

Aside from benefiting the environment, the increase in the amount of ethanol on California gasoline is expected to lower its price. This is because ethanol is 65 cents cheaper than gasoline.

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