Federal Law mandates a minimum amount of ethanol to be blended into American gasoline. The minimums for all types of ethanol continue to rise over time, from a total of 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
With Americans driving fewer and fewer miles every year (Americans drove approximately 93 billion fewer miles in 2012 than in 2007) and makers continually pushing out more fuel efficient vehicles has resulted in gasoline consumption falling 8 billion gallons since 2007.
The combination of increasing mandates and decreasing consumption means that fuel is quickly approaching 10% ethanol concentration. This is significant, because warranties for most American engines are voided beyond 10% ethanol concentration.
The EPA has waived legal restrictions on refineries, now allowing them to blend fuel with up to a 15% ethanol concentration; however auto makers will not be extending warranties beyond the current 10% limit.
Increasing ethanol concentrations promise some nasty side effects. Use of E-15 can decrease fuel efficiency by as much as 30%, Gasoline with high ethanol content can also corrode fuel lines and severely damage the car’s engine. For older cars, engine damage can occur even with 10% blends. In 2009 Lexus executed a massive recal of 2006-2008 model year vehicles after ethanol blended gasoline was corroding injectors.
Let everyone you can tell know about this, make as much noise as possible, because in the end its our safety, our money and our peace of mind that is at risk here.
With Americans driving fewer and fewer miles every year (Americans drove approximately 93 billion fewer miles in 2012 than in 2007) and makers continually pushing out more fuel efficient vehicles has resulted in gasoline consumption falling 8 billion gallons since 2007.
The combination of increasing mandates and decreasing consumption means that fuel is quickly approaching 10% ethanol concentration. This is significant, because warranties for most American engines are voided beyond 10% ethanol concentration.
The EPA has waived legal restrictions on refineries, now allowing them to blend fuel with up to a 15% ethanol concentration; however auto makers will not be extending warranties beyond the current 10% limit.
Increasing ethanol concentrations promise some nasty side effects. Use of E-15 can decrease fuel efficiency by as much as 30%, Gasoline with high ethanol content can also corrode fuel lines and severely damage the car’s engine. For older cars, engine damage can occur even with 10% blends. In 2009 Lexus executed a massive recal of 2006-2008 model year vehicles after ethanol blended gasoline was corroding injectors.
Let everyone you can tell know about this, make as much noise as possible, because in the end its our safety, our money and our peace of mind that is at risk here.
