Alternative Energy
Pros and Cons of Ethanol Fuel
Pros to Ethanol
Production is domestic, helping to make our nation more independent.
It is more environmental friendly compared to that of petroleum based fuel.
Less emission of harmful pollutants into the air
It is a renewable resource, so unlike crude oil, it does not have a set amount and will not reach depletion.
Increase in economic productivity. Farmers and their crops are in higher demand. The process of producing ethanol will provide more jobs.
The cars needed to be able to use high amounts of ethanol are of insignificant price variance compared to regular vehicles.
The higher the ethanol measure is in the fuel blend, the smoother the vehicle’s engine runs.
Ethanol is fairly cheaper per gallon in comparison to gasoline.
Cons of Ethanol
Ethanol has limited availability due to its ingredients (corn) being in high demand and only so many bushels that can be grown per year.
Any fuel blends over E10 can only be used by fuel flex cars.
Special distribution products are required for ethanol due to its corrosive behavior.
Ethanol does have less energy content in comparison to gas, thus providing lower gas mileage.
Even though ethanol fuel is cheaper, the vehicle’s tank requires filling up more than petroleum gas.
There is a limited number of E85 gas refuel stations. If people were to begin to use this fuel, there would not be enough access or supply to allow for it.
- Since corn is mainly produced in the Midwest, most ethanol plants are concentrated in that region. Due to the difficulty in transporting ethanol, it has barely reached coastal states.