E85 flexfuel gas stations...?

[Guest 44M]

I just got `09 Impala wich is flexfuel, does anyone knows where in Nashville can I get E85 (Ethanol) and what is the price for it?

thanks

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Never have seen it. I would rather have the real thing

in my gas tank instead of corn alcohol. In other states

where I saw it in the past, it was close to regular in price

even though they say flex, I'll bet you your car will run better on regular.

[Smith]

Why? You really want half the mileage while jacking up the price of a staple food the poor and starving worldwide depend on? E85 is about the most no-ethical environmental thing around. Just ask about the tortilla riots in South America.

BTW - no one around here has it. Look in Kalifornia.

[Currently]

Amen to that ... I now look for ethanol free gas ... I will not buy any fuel that has ethanol in it even if I have to travel 50 miles to get it.

There are lots of lawn mowers, weed wackers and chainsaws dying an early death because of that chit in gasoline.

[G27]

Why? You really want half the mileage while jacking up the price of a staple food the poor and starving worldwide depend on? E85 is about the most no-ethical environmental thing around.

There's more - it actually uses more petroleum in the production (farm equipment and processing) than it replaces!

Ethanol is the perfect example of a solution that's worse than the problem.

[Murgatroy]

Ethanol is great in a performance vehicle. You don't get as much energy out of it as you do out of regular gasoline, however, if you are running any form of boost, it will allow you to crank your boost up and make more power. If you have a way to tune, it is more fun than gasoline.

The whole big myth about it though is hidden in the fuel lines. Ethanol is corrosive to rubber. The big Flex Fuel secret is nitrile seals. The ethanol won't eat through them.

In a daily driven economy car, ethanol is a joke though. There is no point to it. You lose economy, and the price doesn't offset that, especially given the rarity of an E85 filling station.

[56FordGuy]

I can't say anything on the efficiency of ethanol, but I have seen a sign advertising at at the Pilot truck stop in Crossville, exit 320 off of I-40. I believe that the Thorntons outside Gallatin at the corner of Long Hollow Pike/ Hwy 386 and Belvedere Drive has it.

[Photoguy67]

The only place I have personally seen it is the Pilot at exit 172 in Dickson, Tn.

[Guest 44M]

I`m not interested in politicizing use of ethanol, I got the car because it was a good deal, I`m just trying to see what is all the noise around ethanol about... if its cheaper than regular gas I will use it, if not than I wont...thanks to the guys with info about gas stations with ethanol, and I`m really not worried about tortilla riots...

[Oh Shoot]

I`m not interested in politicizing use of ethanol, I got the car because it was a good deal, I`m just trying to see what is all the noise around ethanol about... if its cheaper than regular gas I will use it, if not than I wont...thanks to the guys with info about gas stations with ethanol, and I`m really not worried about tortilla riots...

Ah, you say that now, but just wait till Taco Bell tells you "¡ No tenemos tortillas, beba su gasolina !"

- OS

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I`m not interested in politicizing use of ethanol, I got the car because it was a good deal, I`m just trying to see what is all the noise around ethanol about... if its cheaper than regular gas I will use it, if not than I wont...thanks to the guys with info about gas stations with ethanol, and I`m really not worried about tortilla riots...

However you wish to call it, and not politicizing anything,

growing corn to make a fuel for your car doesn't make

much sense. There are several refineries/ distillers that

have gone out of business because of the economics

of the ethanol for fuel business.

I read somewhere that it takes four gallons of ethanol

to equal the energy of one gallon of gasoline, and that

it takes a huge amount of petroleum based fuel to get it

from the field to the gas pump, making it economically

unviable as a fuel. It takes huge government subsidies

to make, distribute and get to market.

It probably won't be around much longer.

I put a small amount of acetone in my tank with a fill up

and it seems to help on the mileage and performance.

[DWARREN123]

Clarksville Tn, exit 11 off I-24, Beach's has it plus regular gasolines. Not a regular gas station but their distribution center.

[Guest 70below]

Corn is not required to produce ethanol. Its actually not even the preferred method of producing it (unless you're drinking it). Alcohol is a great fuel for cars DESIGNED to use it (its a higher octane fuel and higher compression ratios can be utilized than gas engines). Brazil is one of the few countries in the world that has become completely self sufficient on their own domestic oil production because they produce 85% of their fuel as ethanol from sugar cane. In the north (ie Minnesota) many ethanol plants are combination plants in which produce dozens of products from corn, and ethanol production is a byproduct of those other processes. They use minimal amounts of additional fossil fuels to produce the ethanol. It can be done right, but the consumer has to want it, and frankly, nobody asks for it.

Ethanol energy content per gallon is roughly 75Kbtu, while gasoline is 115kbtu. So roughly, a vehicle getting 23mpg on gas, can get 15mpg from straight ethanol (which is not available, we use 85% at the pump). Locally, E85 is $2.29 a gallon when found, which converts to about $3.51 for the same amount of miles as you'd get from that gallon of gas that is about $2.60 a gallon right now.

Edited July 4, 2010 by 70below

[Guest 70below]

[quote=6.8 AR;558111

I put a small amount of acetone in my tank with a fill up

and it seems to help on the mileage and performance.

Ouch.....you'd be better off if you added something to your fuel, to add Toluene. It won't flash off as fast, and its a lot less harsh on your internals. Xylene and Toluene are common components of octane boosters.

[VERO1]

The Pilot station in West Knoxville carries it. It is usually about 20 cents cheaper than regular. I would just call Pilot and ask which of their stations carried it, if I wanted to use it.

[Il Duce]

Ethanol is great in a performance vehicle. You don't get as much energy out of it as you do out of regular gasoline, however, if you are running any form of boost, it will allow you to crank your boost up and make more power. If you have a way to tune, it is more fun than gasoline.

The whole big myth about it though is hidden in the fuel lines. Ethanol is corrosive to rubber. The big Flex Fuel secret is nitrile seals. The ethanol won't eat through them.

In a daily driven economy car, ethanol is a joke though. There is no point to it. You lose economy, and the price doesn't offset that, especially given the rarity of an E85 filling station.

you are thinking of methanol

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Another example of when a simple question turns into a political thread... I think some people "accidentally" click "General Off Topic" and want to bring politics into a question thread.

Honestly, I don't know where on is, but I would help if I did.

[Guest bkelm18]

Another example of when a simple question turns into a political thread... I think some people "accidentally" click "General Off Topic" and want to bring politics into a question thread.

Honestly, I don't know where on is, but I would help if I did.

Well that's what happens when you bring up a politically charged question on a board full of very politically minded people.

[Murgatroy]

you are thinking of methanol

No. I am familiar with several Celica Alltracs and MR2s running the 3SGTE that have been converted and tuned to run on E85. On average making 20WHP more with no other modifications. Other than the boost being cranked up. Granted as mentioned, the economy goes down, but anyone after those elusive ponies will sacrifice fuel economy any day of the week.

[strickj]

Nothing wrong with using alternative fuels.

Hell, I run pure grain alcohol in my robot!

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Ouch.....you'd be better off if you added something to your fuel, to add Toluene. It won't flash off as fast, and its a lot less harsh on your internals. Xylene and Toluene are common components of octane boosters.

I use one oz/10 gallons. I didn't know that. Thank you. Now, where do you get that?

[TripleDigitRide]

As of a few months ago, the Citgo at Main Street and South 5th Street in Nashville offered it. I have no idea of the price.

500 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206

[mcurrier]

I think it's a Shell on Hartman Dr just off of I-40 near an Outback Steakhouse. Price was about 30-50¢ more per gallon than regular.

[KahrMan]

Shell station in Green Hills has it but don't know the price.

[kb4ns]

I think it's a Shell on Hartman Dr just off of I-40 near an Outback Steakhouse. Price was about 30-50¢ more per gallon than regular.

So it gives you less miles per gallon AND costs more? I don't forsee this making it very long...