Hawaii Ethanol Fuel Information

We are seeing an increased demand for alternate fuel vehicles around the world.  This demand continues to grow as the price of oil crude and fossil fuels continues to rise.  Many car manufacturers are designing more economical variations of popular models, but they are also coming out with new hybrid cars—ones that run on a mixture of gasoline and electricity.  These hybrid models come with their own trade-off, however, including requiring regular charging and typically lower horsepower.  Current ethanol compatible engines are mostly what are called dual-fuel engines, engines that can run on both ethanol and fossil fuel mixtures.  These vehicles tend to see a degradation in efficiency, such as miles per gallon, as more ethanol is added to the mix.

Studies have shown, however, that engines produced specifically to take advantage of the ethanol fuel options available, particularly E100 (or, 100% ethanol fuel) would surpass the current efficiency seen in most vehicles today.  With natural resources depleting and costs on the upswing with no sight of stopping or coming back down, private organizations, car manufacturers, and governments are racing to come up with a solution for tomorrow.  Ethanol fuel is at the top of the list, and keeping this in mind could help you determine which gas burning vehicle should be your next.

Like with any new car purchase, the time invested in investigating your options is certain to pay off by the time it’s time to sign those papers, hand over the cash, and get your new keys.  You will, of course, want to keep the usual things in mind.  How safe is the car?  What is its rated MPG?  Do you need a 2 door, 4 door, van, or work truck?  What options such as DVD players, power steering/windows, storage capacity, etc., are available?  And, there is always that questions of MPG.  When shopping for a vehicle that is more compatible with ethanol fuels, though, it could take a bit more digging, especially in these early stages of the technology.  There are a variety of places for you to get reliable information.  The Internet is always an option, providing you with information on everything from the latest in movies and music, to the history of Sumer.  Check the manufacturer’s website, reviews and blogs.  Always, ask the car dealership.  The question isn’t as common yet, so it might take them time to dig up your answer.  The truth is, some engines just burn better with ethanol than others.  Since it’s still a relatively overlooked power source, ethanol fuel burning engines have a long way to go before they are overly competitive or common place, but the idea to plan ahead is always a good one.