Ethanol Vs Gasoline Essay

565 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ethanol as an alternative energy pros and cons

Both gasoline and ethanol have been around since the time of Henry Ford. Gasoline has been the more accessible of all of them. Ethanol and natural gas have been gaining more support over the years and now gasoline contains ten percent ethanol. Propane is mostly used in fleet vehicles. Cars today can run on gasoline with a little ethanol, but too much ethanol can severely damage a vehicle. Only flex fuel vehicles can handle more than ten percent ethanol in a system. Natural gas vehicles are starting to come onto the market. All three fuels have their pros and cons, but the ultimate decision is up to the consumer. Ethanol is a clean, renewable fuel made from plant material. Ethanol is cleaner than gasoline because it contains more oxygen. The added oxygen increases ethanol's octane rating. The octane rating is the fuel's ability to resist “knock”. Ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline. Ethanol above fifteen percent can damage vehicles that are designed to run on gasoline. An ethanol/gasoline (E10) blend is cheaper than just gasoline. The blend does reduce fuel economy by up to 3.3 percent. Car companies have started to produce flex-fuel vehicles. These flex-fuel vehicles can run on fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol. The main problem is …show more content…

Propane can also reduce emissions. There are two types of propane vehicles on the road today, dedicated and bi- fuel. Dedicated is that the vehicles runs solely on propane. Bi-fuel is that the car can run on propane or gasoline. Bi-fuel is a good idea because if the car runs out of propane it can still run on gasoline. The driver does not have to worry about not finding a propane station with a bi-fuel propane vehicle. According to sumanauto.com propane vehicles are very safe. Just like in gasoline vehicles, propane vehicles have shut off valves and the propane tanks are well made. Propane is a safe and green alternative to gasoline powered

Show More
Related

  • Future of Ethanol Mandates

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the United States we have been looking into alternative energies to reduce our dependence on oil and help reduce our carbon footprint. One method the EPA has come out in support of is ethanol production. Ethanol is considered a green fuel because it recycles the burned carbon each time new crops are grown. In theory ethanol is a good stepping stone between using gasoline and zero emission power sources. However biofuels are still young technology that has many problems before it can be useful. The EPA is in full support of biofuels and has mandated that by 2020, 36 billion gallons of biofuels are to be produced in America. Currently almost all of America biofuels comes in the form of corn based ethanol which is extremely inefficient and can cause sustainability problems. Due to this reason only 15 billion gallons of the mandated biofuels can be form corn based ethanol. The rest of the biofuel must come from non-corn based alternatives such as cellulosic ethanol which the EPA projects to create all most all of the 21 billion remaining gallons of ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol uses the cellulose that is in all plants matter to create ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is far more efficient than corn ethanol because you can use the whole plant and it sets no limitation on what type of plant matter can be used. Even though the EPA projects that these number will be achievable, due to current setbacks and efficiencies cellulosic ethanol will not be able to meet this output within the time constraints and a goal of 2034 years would be more realistic in the long run.

    Read More

  • Natural Gas Essay

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tradeoffs of using gasoline for cars are large emission of carbon dioxide and required large amount of chemical t...

    Read More

  • Satire Essay On Global Warming

    484 Words  | 1 Pages

    Widely because fossil fuels are the number one source of energy in the world today. Humans consume 3,570,000,000 gallons of gas in just one day! Using fossil fuels is extremely dangerous to our environment, but there are plenty of ways one can reduce their fossil fuel intake. Carpooling with your friends to school, work, and just in general is a great choice to make. Not only would it improve the environment, but it would save money, too. Another great way to cut down on fossil fuels is to walk to get from place to place. Walking is an easy way to get an exercise in and is even proven to increase happiness. No matter how big or small, any change will help combat global

    Read More

  • Gasoline Dependence

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gasoline is thought to be a helpful substance to all countries worldwide. However, the negative effects are far greater than the positive. A diversity of clean fuels is vital for the political, environmental, and economic health of America. Although gasoline is a product depended on by the United States of America and many other countries, the negative effects are unbearable, dangerous, and unnecessary due to the opportunity to use alternative fuels.

    Read More

  • Diesel vs Petrol: A Comparative Analysis

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    Diesel and petrol are some of the most popular fuel types. However diesel has gotten a bad reputation as being an unclean fuel source, but in reality it can be more efficient, cheaper, and overall be greater for long term use. Diesel can be great for long term use because they are used in commercial trucks used to ship thing through thousands of miles a year

    Read More

  • Gas Cars vs Electric Cars

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    I bet you didn't know that the first cars made were all mostly electric. But as time passed gas powered cars became more popular through the years. There were few if any electric cars available as timed moved on. Everyone believed that gas powered vehicles were more convenient than the electric powered ones. I believe that gas powered vehicles are better because gas powered cars have more function ability. The range that electric vehicles have is poor compared to gas vehicles. Electric vehicles don't function very well when the weather is cold. You'll need to charge your car pretty much every night. You are only going to be able to go 80 mph. If you go up a big hill your range goes down. electric vehicles (rather ev's) do pollute but they don't pollute the same way that gas cars pollute.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Ethanol As A Vehicle Fuel

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ethanol as a vehicle fuel is not a new concept. Henry Ford designed the framed Model T to run on alcohol, he said it was “the fuel of the future”. The oil companies thought otherwise, however the oil crisis of the early 1970s gave ethanol fuel the new lease of life. More than two trillion miles have been driven on ethanol blended fuels in the United States since 1980. Ethanol can save our future children generations of work by keeping our planet clean and prevent warfare.

    Read More

  • Biodiesel Pros And Cons Essay

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    Currently, biodiesel is the only biofuel to have successfully completed emissions testing in accordance with the Clean Air Act. It does not produce any hazardous emissions. It is biodegradable, so even if a biodiesel spill happens, it has less damage on the environment and the cleanup would be easier. In addition to that, it is also renewable.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Electric Cars

    1187 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gasoline fueled cars produce a number of pollutants. The most damaging pollutants that come from gasoline fueled cars are particulate matter. Particulate matter is a sequence of organic materials and inorganic substances. It includes ingredients such as lint and minerals. Nitrogen dioxide, produced when fuel is burned at high temperatures, can cause damage to the lungs and cause chest pains. One might ask, “Why are Americans still driving gasoline cars?” knowing the damage that they are subject to cause. I personally maintain that the government should push people to p...

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: Gas Car Vs. Electric Car

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Is that really a fact or just half true? The stereotype about all cars without departmentalizing between the gas cars in their improper maintenance that cause bad smog with the gas cars which are in a good maintenance by its owner and not causing excessive smog, is just simply ignorance. Fossil fuels is another term used to vilify the gas cars, because gas cars devour it. Beside of its negative contribution to the world destruction, burning fossil fuels that dug from the earth makes the earth unbalance during her lifespan. The effect that concerns the environmentalists is the earth is dying, giving the phenomena from the melting ice cap in the both poles.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy: The Switch is Now

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    The use of fossil fuels on a large scale, specifically coal, began with the Industrial Revolution in England. Industries/corporations first used coal as a main source of energy to fuel their factories, and it became even more popular when railroads started. According to the United States Energy Department, "...by the early 20th century coal had become the major fuel in the United States, accounting for nearly 75% of the nation's energy requirements." Soon after, newer and cheaper fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, were high in demand. Energy Supplies, Sustainability, and Costs, by Sandra Alters, states oil was used as the main source of fuel to heat homes and offices, and gas powered the growing number of cars (57). "Oil shoved aside coal as the world's primary fuel, just as coal had replaced wood", says Tom Mast in Over a Barrel: A Simple Guide to the Oil Shortage (15). Most Americans were not concerned wit...

    Read More

  • Hybrid Vehicles and Their Effect on the Environment

    1905 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many hazardous pollutants escape from the internal combustion of the engine. Conventional gas powered vehicles use irreplaceable fossil fuels to run. When burned, these fossil fuels create numerous toxins like carbon dioxide (Larminie 246). Carbon dioxide is considered the main greenhouse gas that creates the foundation for global warming (hybridcars.com, pollutants). This harmful pollutant may not have a serious effect on people at first, but it does have consequential effects on the environment that in turn put people in danger (Nutramed.com). The major consequence caused by global warming is the rise in average temperature. This results in a domino...

    Read More

  • Global Warming Persuasive Speech

    470 Words  | 1 Pages

    Collectively, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all US emissions, emitting around 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases for every gallon of gas. About five pounds comes from the extraction, production, and delivery of the fuel, while the great bulk of heat-trapping emissions—more than 19 pounds per gallon—comes right out of a car’s tailpipe.(www.ucsusa.org) Burning fossil fuels is also a really big cause in global warming. Burning coal,gasoline etc. because these thing when we burn them they go up into the atmosphere and cause a hole in the ozone layer.

    Read More

  • Essay On Climate Change

    2100 Words  | 5 Pages

    These fuels include coal, oil products such as gasoline, and natural gas. Use of these fuels has a number of harmful health and environmental effects. According to the World Health Organization, outdoor air pollution, most of it from burning fossil fuels, especially coal kills at least 800,000 people each year and causes health problems for tens of millions of others. Technology is available to reduce such air pollution, but using it is costly and results in higher fuel

    Read More

  • Car Pollution Essay

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    Car pollutants cause immediate and long-term effects on the environment. Car exhausts emit a wide range of gases and solid matter, causing global warming, acid rain, and harming the environment and human health. Engine noise and fuel spills also cause pollution. Cars, trucks and other forms of transportation are the single largest contributor to air pollution in the United States, but car owners can reduce their vehicle's effects on the environment. Car pollution is one of the major causes of global warming. Cars and trucks emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which contribute one-fifth of the United States' total global warming pollution. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which causes worldwide temperatures to rise.

    Read More

More about Ethanol Vs Gasoline Essay

Open Document