(Op-ed from J L Bach)
We all know the drill when it’s time to put gas in the car. There are two main choices for motorists in North Iowa that have gas-powered vehicles- standard unleaded, and Ethanol blended unleaded. The choice seems so clear, the Ethanol blend is almost always ten cents a gallon cheaper, and it’s higher octane too, so it’s just got to be a better deal right?
Actually for most motorists, ethanol blend is at least a wash, and probably the worse choice. Why is this, when it’s cheaper and has a higher octane number – 89, vs. straight unleaded at 87? Let’s start with a trivia question almost everybody gets wrong- which burns faster, premium fuel or regular fuel? The answer is regular fuel. Premium burns slower and cooler to prevent pre-detonation. Do you remember the first cars that came out that burned strictly unleaded fuel in the late 70’s early 80’s? Many had severe pre-detonation problems, with the products built by Chrysler leading that charge, largely sounding like a bunch of nickels in a clothes dryer going down the road. Not to be outdone, the Fords suffered from pre-detonation after they were shut off, I’m sure those of us around in the day remember the lovely “ka-duck ka-duck ka-duck” after the car was turned off. Those were signs of pre-detonation, which occurs when the metal parts of the engine get hot enough to ignite the fuel when it’s not supposed to be burning. These traits have all but been engineered out of today’s cars and trucks, and unless your gas cap and owner’s manual specifically state “Premium Fuel” only, putter higher octane fuel in your car is a waste of money and probably costs you gas mileage.
So how bad is the mileage hit? My personal example is as follows; my car holds 24 gallons of fuel. If I put straight unleaded in it, I pay an additional $2.40 for that tank of gas, which at today’s prices amounts to less than ¾ of a gallon of gas. But, with this tank of straight fuel my vehicle gets another 60 to 90 miles out of a tank of gas. Short of a 50cc scooter, there’s not a vehicle on the road that will go 90 miles on 2/3 of a gallon of gas, so it’s easy to see the savings. Over a year’s time, this is a lot of extra miles driven, and money back in your pocket.
But golly, even if I get worse mileage, that gas pump says “Cleaner air for Iowa” on it, aren’t I helping the environment and Iowa farmers by using it? First, the argument is made that the ethanol makes the engine burn cleaner. This may in fact be true, but oxygenated fuels were largely designed to help in urban areas that have major air quality problems. Your average rural Iowa County doesn’t have a CO problem to begin with. CO build-up happens in urban areas that suffer temperature inversions, which trap the emissions under a blanket of warmer air.
Before you and Al Gore get all wound up about the amount of global CO and CO2, keep reading; if you measure the amount of ground water that is required to produce a gallon of ethanol, I can’t personally see how our environment is ahead of the game. In terms of the local economy, Iowa farmers are selling all the grain they bring in at top dollar anyhow. Some even speculate the production of ethanol is behind the rise in milk and grocery prices. But for me, the most troubling thing about it is that we are burning food in our gas tanks while people around the world are starving.
So next time you fill up set your trip odometer and record the miles you get out of a tank of gas. Then, on your following trip to the gas station, try true unleaded. Some cars do about the same, but others can get vastly improved mileage. Much depends on your style of driving, the type of vehicle your drive, and what the current “blend” is being provided by the fuel suppliers. But it’s worth a shot. Just maybe you’ll also feel better about driving around on gas and not a food product, and not reducing the water table in the Jordan Aquifer, even if the mileage doesn’t change. I certainly do.
