Super duper fuels, eh?

[cobram at juno.com]

Brett Dikeman <quattro at frank.mercea.net> writes:

> One of ethanol's many problems as a fuel.  Even in Brazil, the 
> number  of ethanol cars is dropping, and it is widely available and (I 

> believe) cheaper.

Yes and no.  There are no more problems with alcohol only vehicles;
alcohol vehicles are actually more reliable than gasoline because of the
higher quality of parts necessary.  The Brazilians have been making them
for 30 years now.
 
The only reason alcohol only car sales are falling, is the same reason
gasoline only vehicles are falling, Flex vehicles which burn gasoline,
alcohol, (or a mix of the two) natural gas and propane.  Resale is higher
for flex, alcohol averages 1/2 the price of gasoline (tax issue only,
since it costs the same to produce gasoline or alcohol in Brazil),
NG/propane is about 1/5th the cost (but only available in larger urban
centers.)  It's telling that Diesel vehicle resale is higher than all
three.  
 
Alcohol fuel production in the rest of the world has already affected
prices and supplies of everything from beer to beef.  A full 180 from
when you could eat your transportation in a pinch.  
 
Just the facts, no need to inject politics or presume to tell anyone what
they "need."  Trabants, Yugos and Ladas, oh my!  Think of all the energy
the world could save if everyone used Ipods with headphones instead of
energy wasting rack systems full of amps and speakers, nobody "needs"
those either.

BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
Disney World - a people trap operated by a mouse.