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Pros and cons
Pros
- Reduced dependence on petroleum
- Domestically produced – the U.S. has the largest agricultural system, and the rise of ethanol production would greatly support farmers and the entire agriculture industry
- Renewable source of energy
- Much safer for both humans and the atmosphere by vastly reducing the emission of hydrocarbons and other toxins.
- Lessens engine wear
- Estimated lower long-run maintenance costs
- Increases horsepower and torque due to the higher octane rating
Cons
- Shorter operation range (shorter distance per tank of E85 compared to gasoline).
- Generally expected to be less efficient than gasoline. 1 gallon of gasoline is equal to 1.5 gallons of ethanol. Thus, a car that gets 30mpg on gasoline would only get 20mpg running on E85. More research is being done regarding this.
- Initiatives require large government and private support.
- Because ethanol is an alcohol, it is corrosive. Corrosion may occur in pre-1988 engines from prolonged exposure to high concentrations of ethanol. In FlexFuel vehicles, however, all the parts that come in contact with the E85 have been replaced so as to not corrode.
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