Gasoline starting on May 1.

[DonTom]

"EPA orders nationwide gasoline dilution May 1—40 million vehicles banned from using it."​

See here.


-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[John From Detroit]

I hope that is not true but if you search for it you can still get gasoline that is actually gasoline.

 

[DonTom]

I hope that is not true but if you search for it you can still get gasoline that is actually gasoline.

I have never seen gasoline offered here in CA without 10% ethanol --but is legal, says my online search.

The closest gas station to my Reno home has "87 clear" which means no ethanol. It costs more, of course. I use it in the motorcycles I do not expect to use for a while, such as my 2002 Suzuki DR200SE that I mainly use only on unpaved roads.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Derby6]

Misleading at best. Ordering companies to do something is completely different than allowing them to do something.


The title states.

“EPA Orders Nationwide Gasoline Dilution May 1—40 Million Vehicles Banned From Using It”

But the article states.

“Starting May 1, every gas pump in America changes. The EPA issued an emergency waiver on March 25 allowing nationwide sales of E15, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol instead of the standard 10%.”

 

[Lou Schneider]

Allows, not orders. Big difference. From the article:

"The waiver runs 20 days. Upgrading a single gas station for E15 compatibility costs a minimum of $100,000. Full underground tank replacement exceeds $1 million. No station owner on earth invests six figures for a three-week window. That math explains why only about 3,000 stations currently offer E15 out of roughly 150,000 nationwide. The policy promises cheaper fuel at pumps that largely don't exist yet. Which, honestly, makes the entire consumer relief argument feel like a press release with no plumbing behind it"

 

[DonTom]

Allows, not order

Or allows to be ordered. Or ordered to be allowed.

I also noticed the poor wording.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[EdJunior]

I also noticed the poor wording.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Exactly. Fake news or incomplete/misleading at best. Surprised it's not from The Onion.

 

[Derby6]

I also noticed the poor wording.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Interesting. You knew/recognized it was a misleading title to an article and you choose to quote that title and post it here anyway.
No clarification. Just regurgitation.

 

[DonTom]

You knew/recognized it was a misleading title to an article and you choose to quote that title and post it here anyway.
No clarification. Just regurgitation.

Sure, let everybody decide what it means for themselves.

IMO, not exactly misleading, just poorly worded, IMO.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[TheBar]

Most people that are not part of vehicle forums do not know their gas mileage is worse using gas with 10% ethanol much less 15%. Plus engines develop less horsepower and torque unless they are specifically designed for pure alcohol. Ethanol free pays for itself even though more expensive. Versus E15 is so bad it doesn't justify the cheaper price.

Here about 1/3 of gas stations sell alcohol free. Murphy gas (sold at many Walmarts) sells 90 octane alcohol free here but other places are as high as 93 octane. My 2023 car makes 255 hp so it is not an economy car but it gets 41 mpg at 81 mph on alcohol free, and only 33 on 10%. It also has noticeably less power on ethanol.

 

[DonTom]

Here about 1/3 of gas stations sell alcohol free. Murphy gas (sold at many Walmarts) sells 90 octane alcohol free here but other places are as high as 93 octane.

The highest octane I have seen in NV for the "clear gasoline" is 87 and 86 is more common.

Here in CA, I have yet to see the "clear gasoline" at any octane.

But I could easily miss such because I do not go to gas stations all that often.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[LarsMac]

"EPA orders nationwide gasoline dilution May 1—40 million vehicles banned from using it."​

See here.


-Don- Auburn, CA

I believe very little that I read from MSN. They're almost as reliable as FOXsnooze I'll wait until I find it in a more trustworthy source.

 

[Mr Lars]

The little Bo-hunk town I live in, none of the gas stations offer ‘ethanol free’ gasoline. The closest is 25 miles from my house. I take a couple 5 gallons cans and fill, for the lawn mowers, cleaning paint brushes if using an oil based paint, etc. I will fill the 2013 Honda CR-V with ethanol free gas in the dog days of summer when temps here are 100+.

 

[DonTom]

I will fill the 2013 Honda CR-V with ethanol free gas in the dog days of summer when temps here are 100+.

You have it backwards, unless storing it for the winter.

"Ethanol-free gasoline is generally better for cold weather performance and storage, while standard ethanol-blended fuel is often formulated for better summer volatility control."

Cold weather causes fuel phase separation between the gasoline and the ethanol:

"Fuel phase separation is a chemical process that occurs in ethanol-blended gasoline (such as E10) when excess water contaminates the fuel, causing the ethanol to detach from the gasoline and bind with the water molecules. "

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

I believe very little that I read from MSN. They're almost as reliable as FOXsnooze I'll wait until I find it in a more trustworthy source.

This will reduce your wait:


"It is issuing a temporary waiver to allow the nationwide sale of E15 gasoline (a blend containing 15% ethanol) starting May 1, 2026.

• What is E15? It is a fuel blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, often marketed as Unleaded 88, Regular 88, or Clean 88, compared to the standard E10 (10% ethanol).
• Why the change? The waiver aims to fortify the domestic fuel supply and provide relief at the pumps as prices have risen due to conflicts in the Middle East.
• Duration: The waiver is effective from May 1 to May 20, 2026, though the EPA may extend the period if gas prices remain high.
• Impact on Vehicles:
  
  • Safe for: Most cars made after 2000 and "flex-fuel" vehicles.
  • Unsafe for: Pre-2001 vehicles, small engines (motorcycles, ATVs, lawn mowers), and boats, as E15 can damage gaskets, fuel lines, and carburetors.
• Cost and Efficiency: While consumers may save 10 to 30 cents per gallon, fuel economy may decrease by less than 2%.
• Identification: Pumps dispensing E15 are federally required to have a yellow label or display the names Unleaded 15, eBlend, or Regular 88"

The name "Regular 88" can cause some confusion, IMO.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Mr Lars]

Ethanol free gas is better for long term storage I agree. Nothing I have is ‘stored long term’, even my chainsaws will get drained after use. Every gasoline powered vehicle I have owned, had increased mpg when using ethanol free, that ‘is a win’ in my books, and less gallons purchased translates to less per gallon taxes going to the squandering highway fund, that’s ‘win-win’ in my books.

 

[Larry N.]

I had a 2007 Ford F-150 that was "Flex Fuel." So I filled with E85 one time for a camping trip towing my Trailmanor. Going into the mountains for camping, I got about 11 mpg with the E85, vs 13-14 with the E10 gas.

 

[LarsMac]

Again, a lot of confusion.

It's already all over Colorado, so, what's the big deal?

Having more of it around won't make much difference around here.

 

[Cmprman]

I wonder how detrimental that extra 5% of ethanol will be to most engines.

 

[DonTom]

I wonder how detrimental that extra 5% of ethanol will be to most engines.

Not at all, to anything built after Y2K, just will give slightly less MPG.

IMO, it only makes people feel like they are paying less as it is cheaper by the gallon but reduces MPG coming out rather close to the same. I will not be using it in anything.

So what it really does is to reduce your range per tankful.

-Don- Auburn, CA