A Brief History

The use of ethanol can be traced back just about as far as recorded history can take us. However, ethanol was not used as a fuel source until the early 1900's. Henry Ford built the 1908 Model T Ford to run on either ethanol or gasoline. At the time, Henry Ford declared that ethanol was the "fuel of the future". Ethanol continued to be used until the 1930's when it was all but wiped off the map by cheaper, more widely available gasoline. Ethanol has made some brief resurgences since the 1930's, but it is only now becoming a household name.

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol is a clear liquid with a molecular structure that contains a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom. In simpler terms, ethanol is grain alcohol and anyone who has pledged a frat in college was forced to drink it. After drinking it, you quickly realize that it can be used as a fuel. Hopefully I am not the only person that was ever forced to drink grain alcohol as part of an awful ritual during my youth, but I digress.

Ethanol is predominately made from corn in the United States and sugar cane in Brazil. However, it can also be made from fibrous cellulosic biomass like switchgrass, wood and crop residues.

How does Ethanol stack up against Gasoline?

Ethanol is actually a higher octane fuel then gasoline and works well in internal combustion engines. As a matter of fact, the higher octane of ethanol makes it the fuel of choice for performance vehicles. However, ethanol does contain one-third less energy per gallon then gasoline resulting in reduced fuel economy.

Availiability of Ethanol

Ethanol is currently blended with gasoline in a couple of different ways. The first is called E10, which is 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. This application is typical when lower octane gasoline is mixed with ethanol to boost the octane to a minimum of 87, comparable to regular gasoline. The second, or most well know, is E85 which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. A number of vehicles are now available that are capable of using either E85 or gasoline.

Benefits of Ethanol

• Ethanol is considered a renewable energy source
• The production of ethanol creates needed jobs in rural areas of the country and could help to boost the economy
• The use of ethanol could reduce our dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels
• Ethanol emissions contain a reduced amount of greenhouse gases when compared to gasoline (* See Ethanol Debate below)

Drawbacks of Ethanol

• Current sources of ethanol, mainly corn, will result in an increased in corn costs. Corn is a staple food source in many parts of the world and an increase in costs could increase world hunger.
• The infrastructure for the distribution of ethanol is still in it's infancy and ethanol is not yet widely available.
• As stated earlier, ethanol contains one-third less energy per gallon then gasoline. With the current cost of a gallon of ethanol being comparable to that of gasoline, there is little to no savings for consumers.

The Ethanol Debate

There are a number of ongoing debates related to ethanol.

The first, as stated earlier, is the potential for reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The industry claims that the process from cradle to grave is carbon neutral. However, opponents claim that the energy expended and the greenhouse gases emitted for production create a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

The second, as mentioned earlier, is the debate over the use of corn and sugar cane for production of ethanol. Corn, being a food source, is now increasing in cost which may contribute to the problem of world hunger. The use of sugar cane has come under scrutiny because forests are being destroyed in order to make more room for sugar cane farms. As we all know, removing a carbon sink is certainly not what we are looking to do moving forward. However, with the potential for other sources of ethanol including switchgrass, both the corn and sugar cane debate could potentially become a thing of the past.

We will keep you posted as the debates wear on.

GreenAuto Note: Although judged differently from gasoline fueled vehicles, there are no E85 compatible vehicles that met our requirements for listing on the site. We will continue to update the site as new models are realeased.