Difference between Gasoline and Ethanol
While there is no sign that those in power intend to curb the widespread use of gasoline as fuel for cars and industrial equipment, various environmental concerns have brought about the need for alternative fuels sources and ethanol has shown promise as being one of the most feasible ones. Can ethanol indeed take the place of gasoline? A look at their differences and characteristics may shed a clue.
Performance
A gallon of pure ethanol provides only 66% of the energy of an equivalent amount of gasoline. When ethanol is blended with gasoline at a ratio of 85% to 15%, the mixture will provide 71% the energy of pure gasoline.
In practice, ethanol is also less fuel efficient than gasoline, although it offers similar power, acceleration and cruising performance.
Cost Concerns
Interestingly enough, the ethanol blend described above costs about as much as pure gasoline, so it would appear that the only advantage to using ethanol or ethanol blends is with regard to environmental concerns and concern over OPECs prediction that the world will run out of petrol less than 15 years. In addition, the lower mileage of ethanol also means that to will have to fill your tank more often, thereby increasing your costs. To its credit, ethanol capable vehicles cost about as much as gas driven vehicles as well, so this may just be enough reason to give them a try and help out the environment in the process
Toll On The Environment
Now we come to the main reason why we should consider switching to ethanol in the first place, which is reduced emissions. The adverse effect of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions on the atmosphere is well documented, and gasoline driven engines are some of the biggest culprits.
As it turns out, ethanol on its own or mixed with gasoline can considerably reduce engines emissions, making it a seemingly feasible partial solution to the pollution problem. In fact, it is estimated that switching over to ethanol or ethanol blends exclusively could reduce carbon monoxide emissions in the environment by 30% or more. VOC exhaust emissions will also be reduced by 12%, and PM emissions will decrease 25%. Ethanol also has the advantage of being non-toxic and biodegradable.
Summary
Gasoline
- Comes from fossils
- Less friendly on the environment than ethanol
- More widely used than ethanol
- Provides more energy than ethanol
- Along with other fossil fuels is considered the biggest polluter in the United States
- OPEC predicts that oil reserves are dangerously low and will be depleted within 15 years.
Ethanol
- Comes from corn
- More environment friendly than gasoline
- A newer and therefore less popular energy source
- Provides similar performance to gasoline
- Ethanol capable vehicles generally cost the same as gasoline vehicles
- Can be used as a gasoline addictive
- Can also be used on its own
- Can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 30%.
- Reduces VOC emissions by as much as 12%
- Reduces PM emissions by 25%
