@ Z15 ..Excellent..interesting read ..thanks and yep I seen those (the little peel off Flex Fuel sticker) I have Photos when I was out taking photos . So to me as well it sounds like nothing more than a small cost saving change.
Interesting because I thought about what Vic was saying all day yesterday and maybe they are just removing them from the Premium vehicles.. cleaner look on the higher end. .. that may as well still have merit.
I am going to check the Cadillac Dealer here in a couple days as well and see if they are doing the same on those as well.
@tjs .. actually the “subsidies” weren’t for specifically E85 but rather just overall blending credit.. that subsidy went to the Oil Companies . a Carrot to the Oil Companies to do the blending.
and yes E85 does get “used a lot” there are almost 3,000 Stations now carrying E85 ..it’s growing not disappearing. The Problem for us drivers that use E85 is that the ethanol Industry is more interested in producing E10/E15 because that represents VOLUME sales for them as well as the corn growers.
Corn has nearly reached it’s allowable limit of 15 billion gallons a year (99% is used as an additive blend .. E10.. less than 1% as areal alternative fuel like E85)
So you wont see many if any more corn ethanol plants being built..the next generation of ethanol production starts in earnest this year..cellulosic and MSW (Municipal Waste to Ethanol (yep the garbage you set out to the curb). The first Plants start production here in a couple months.
The Ethanol Industry has a whole has concentrated on additive Blends like E10 because E10 can be used in every vehicle..it means VOLUME sales and profits to them..where using ethanol as an alternative fuel requires an actual investment in infrastructure E85 and blender pumps..less initial volume/more investment and smaller profits.
But now that ethanol has saturated the additive blend market (e10…there is no growth left.. nearly all the Gasoline already contains it’s allowable limit of ethanol ..10%)
So they only Markets left for the Ethanol Industry is to
1. FINALLY start building out at a much faster rate the infrastructure for higher blends ..like E85..it took 5-6 years to go from 400 E85 Stations to 3,000..they need more thna double that effort to gain some volume in the high blend market
2. Exports.. they will continue finding new Markets over seas..as long as corn ethanol is less expensive than say Brazils sugarcane ethanol they wil export ..and it has been less expensive for over a year now
3. They will continue lobbying for more additive blends in the USA.. E15..(which can be run in just about any vehicle like E10 can.. except boats, mowers and vintage vehicles..)that is why you continue to see E15 debates popping up..the ethanol Industry trying to gain access to that high volume arena ..like they had with E10.
BTW..go to the Chicago Board of Trade and look click the Energy Tab.. Ethanol is trading for around 90 cents LESS per gallon than Refined Gasoline..no subsidies at all ..staright up gasoline to ethanol)
But bottom line is you will see more and more ethanol..more and more Stations selling E15, E20,E30,E40,E50….E85 ..and from our perspective we think it is important that the Badges stay so people understand that Yes your vehicle is a Flex Fuel Vehicle and you can run ANY blend of Gasoline and Ethanol.
Let me share you a story for one of our Members from a few years back during the major Hurricanes ..
“Reply #1 on: September 28, 2008, 10:27:53 PM »
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Here in the Metro Atlanta Area, you may be aware that we have a TRUE gas shortage.
With only one E85 pump 1 mile from me & no others within a 15 mile radius, it’s been
amazing to watch the apocalyptic scenes of up to 100 cars (no joke) waiting in line for gasoline.
Meanwhile, @ my E85 pump, I had to endure a 7 minute wait for e85!!! This REALLY SUCKS because
there is normally no one but me at the E85 pump. Dammit! All of those tree-huggers in their Suburbans, Yukons,
Nissan titan, Grand Cherokee & one desperate hottie in a ’00 Mustang were crampin’ my style.
After seeing how I lose 7 minutes of my precious time once these drivers figure out that E85 is a true diamond in
the rough during times of ‘crisis’, I am now convinced that I must go on a campaign to make all of those myths
about E85 resonate even more for the hayseeds around here. from now on, I’m gonna tell ’em all that they are right –
E85 is a Commie fuel, it will fry their engines, will drive up the price of popcorn & will cause millions of African children to starve.
If Sarah Palin says that all of our energy needs will be solved by fockin up….errr, I mean ‘drilling’ in Alaska, then that’s what
we must do. As former mayor of the largest town on the road to Fairbanks, she must be an authority.
Anything to keep them hayseeds away from MY e85 pump.
