Dragon Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Pete,not to bash the reports you reported earlier in regards to making ethanol, here in Iowa most of our farmers use biosdiesal, which in Iowa is 70% soybean extract. They just built a new ethanol refinery down the road from me in the next town over. took them 1 year to build it, and it supplies enough ethanol to fill 3000 cars with the 85% blend every month. flash4, the 85% blend is selling here for $1.89/gallon and the state is currently offering anyone who buys a flex-fuel vehicle a $5000 tax credit on their first annual tax filing after buying it.in reference to the Hybrids, I used to sell Honda's and I sold a lot of the hybrids before the gas prices went apeshit, thanks to the oil companies screwing everyone over. Battery packs on the Honda's have a life expectancy of 5 years, which is the average lifespan of anyone owning any one car. they had a 5 year warranty, no mileage was applied to it. teh battery packs sell for $1200 plus labor. Air conditioning is included standard, and yes it does shut down the compressor when the engine cuts out. However, for the average person running the A/C it doesn't shut down long enough to cause it to heat up in the car, unless your at a railroad crossing for a long train, or some idiot is controling the stop lights manually and isn't paying attention to the time limit like they should. course that is based on upper midwest weather where the A/C isn't used as often as it is in Texas. I talked to a number of my customers after they bought the car, and believe it or not they said they had been averaging more then the mileage stated on the sticker. One customer said she was hitting around 45 MPG in city and 63 MPG on the highway. However she also said that that was in part to the fact, unlike some people, she doesn't do jack rabbit starts, and she keeps the car at the posted speed limit. she traded a Toyata hybrid in for the Honda Civic hybrid because the Toyato never hit the estimated mileage the sticker said it would, driving the same way she does with the Civic.In Colorado all the taxis, and city vehicles are ran on Propane during gas hikes like we have now. Personally I can't wait for these hydorgen powered cars to make it big, I think that will put a tremendous hit on the oil companies.Howdy, had a long talk with our mechanic (23yrs hes been mechanic) today on useing ethanol, no adjustments will will be needed on automobiles.Uh, what vehicles are we talking here?I doubt auto makers would go to the trouble of creating, and marketing flex-fuel vehicles if vehicles already ran on 85% or 100% ethanol.Pete, good point with the A/C issue. I'd never thought about that before. Hmm, why hasn't that been mentioned in the hybrid commercials? because the ethanol burns hotter, which is also part of the reason that the fuel mileage sucks, certain vehicles won't be able to run the 85% blend. Then engine blocks will melt because of the low quality aluminum used in them, primarely these are cars built before 1998. although my little '94 Escort GT can run it, albeit I don't for the bad gas mileage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JDoors Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 ... she keeps the car at the posted speed limit. ... I don't understand. What does that mean, "at the posted speed limit?" You can DO that? Really? You won't get run over or shot? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dragon Posted May 14, 2006 Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 you might get yelled at, honked at, or even have someone "wave" at you. but yes it can be done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thesidekickcat Posted May 17, 2006 Report Share Posted May 17, 2006 Interesting thread! Yes I tend to agree with Pete, that ethanol is a short term view with no counting of additional long term environmental costs associated with it from farm to gas tank. Yes even here in Oregon ethanol plants are being built....to use corn! So why not wood products or straw or even recycled paper products etc? Oh the waste to use corn or soy with half the world hungry at any given time. Also the extra land required to grow more corn/soy, and their heavy use of fertilizers and the heavy water requirements depleting water tables. An environmental disaster in making or so it seems to me.More links to stories in Oregonian.. Can may pickup convert to ethanol car column questionThis next one is a good one on biodiesel but read it now as only short time left on second one to read as they only allow it up on site for free use for 14 days and it was dated May 4th.Couple keep high fuel prices in check by way of biodieselPlus here are the fact box link resources as shown from article since it will shortly be unavailable.U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy division, www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/whatis_biodiesel.html National Biodiesel Board: www.nbb.org SeQuential Biofuels: 503-978-3210, www.sqbiofuels.com. Processes biodiesel at a plant in Salem and supplies several Oregon retailers. GoBiodiesel Cooperative: www.gobiodiesel.org Cascade BioDiesel: Owners Neil and Darlene Bishop, 503-914-6528, www.cascadebiodiesel.com Appleseed processor: www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor Journey to Forever: journeytoforever.org/biodiesel.html PatGod bless everyone Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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