Oct. 8--Biofuel's alleged shortcomings don't add up

The age of fossil fuels is going the way of the dinosaur, giving way to an age of renewable fuels such as ethanol. Along the way, many hoaxes and urban myths about ethanol have littered the path.

The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council Web site -- tulsaworld.com/DrivingEthanol -- describes ethanol as a clean-burning, high-octane fuel produced domestically from renewable sources -- mostly corn. It has become an important part of the U.S. economy, increasing farm revenues and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

Blades of gas: Ethanol is grain alcohol -- the same ethyl alcohol of intoxicating beverages -- and these days is produced mostly from feed corn and sorghum but soon will be produced from wood chips, citrus, corn stover, switch grass and landfill waste. Ethanol is blended one part to nine parts regular unleaded gasoline to make E10 motor fuel. Such blends decrease fuel costs and lower emissions, while increasing fuel octane ratings.

E10: The E10 blend is available in more locations every year, up from one-third of stations in 2004. As the most common

blend of ethanol, it is approved for use in all makes and models of vehicles sold in the U.S. and may be used without engine modification.

Saves $57 billion annually: The tax credit for blending E10 cost taxpayers $3 billion last year, said Jeff Broin, CEO of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Poet LLC, the nation's largest ethanol maker. But according to Iowa State University, ethanol kept down the cost of gasoline by 29 cents to 40 cents per gallon from 1995 through 2007, saving consumers $60 billion per year -- "a great return on our investment," Broin said.

Older cars: Gasoline has changed dramatically over the years without affecting the performance of older vehicles. This includes the phase-out of lead, an octane booster. E10 works well in older engines, but because of its "cleansing" nature, it sometimes loosens residue in older, dirty fuel systems, plugging fuel filters. A simple filter change solves this problem, and continued E10 use keeps the system clean, which enhances performance.

Vapor lock: Vapor pressure of gasoline is set by law and is lower in the spring and summer than in the fall and winter. Vapor lock usually occurs when a winter gasoline formulation is used in summer-like conditions. All major automakers now use in-tank fuel pumps, which are not subject to vapor lock like older, in-line fuel pumps.

Food prices: A June 2007 study by John Urbanchuk of Chicago-based Lecg LLC stated that energy price increases have a greater impact on food prices than the price of corn. It said that a 33 percent increase in crude oil prices (a $1 per gallon increase in the price of regular gasoline) results in a 0.6 percent to 0.9 percent increase in the cost of food in the government's Consumer Price Index. An equivalent increase in corn prices ($1 per bushel) would cause the CPI for food to increase only 0.3 percent, the study said. Higher energy costs affect food prices by adding costs to processing, packaging and transportation.

More data: For a brochure on seven top ethanol myths, see Mythbusters at tulsaworld.com/EthanolFoodPrices .

Automakers say E10 fine fuel for vehicles

There's an urban myth that "ethanol will ruin your engine."

Not true, even though some motorists are willing to pay 20 cents more per gallon and drive 10 miles for "real" gasoline rather than get the cheaper "10 percent ethanol plus 90 percent regular" gasoline blend right down the street. In their owner manuals, automakers say E10 is an acceptable fuel that won't void their new-car warranties. These manufacturers include:

American automakers. General Motors Corp.: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chevy pickups, GMC pickups, Geo, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Ford Motor Co.: Ford, Lincoln,Mercury and Ford pickups. Chrysler LLC: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth and Dodge pickups.

Foreign automakers. Foreign manufacturers also approve E10 use, with most saying "must not contain more than 10 percent ethanol" or "fuels containing up to 10 percent ethanol will not void warranty." They include Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jaguar, KIA, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes- Benz,Mazda,Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Saab, Saturn, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Isuzu manual: "Gasoline containing oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasoline may be available in your area to help clean the air. Isuzu recommends you use such gasoline."

Lexus manual: "Lexus allows the use of oxygenate- blended gasoline where the oxygenate content is up to 10 percent ethanol. Lexus recommends the use of cleaner burning gasoline. These types of gasoline provide excellent vehicle performance, reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality."

Mitsubishi manual: "A mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent unleaded gasoline may be used in your vehicle. Properly blended reformulated gasoline should have no adverse effects on vehicle performance or the durability of engine and fuel system components."

Saab manual: "Saab approves the use of 'reformulated' gasoline in its products, which helps in reducing pollution from all motor vehicles, provided the blend is up to 10 percent ethanol by volume."

Only Rolls Royce/Bentley makes no mention of E10 in its owner manual.

Consumer Page topics: Tulsa World consumer writer Phil Mulkins wants to know which topics interest you most. Call 699-8888 or e-mail your interest to phil.mulkins@TulsaWorld.com or mail it to Tulsa World Consumer, P.O. Box 1770, Tulsa OK 74102-1770.

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