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Vehicle Updates from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Vehicle Updates from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Consumer Reports Finds Ethanol Worsens Vehicle Fuel Economy
9/01/06
A new study by Consumer Reports shows that when flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) run mostly on
ethanol instead of gasoline, the vehicle's fuel economy drops and fueling costs rise. This is not
surprising, according to calculations by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Consumer Reports test drove a 2007 Chevy Tahoe flex-fuel vehicle and found that the vehicle's
fuel economy dropped by 27 percent when fueled by E85 (a fuel that is 85 percent ethanol, 15
percent gasoline) rather than conventional gasoline. "Ethanol has a lower energy content than
gasoline, so consumers need to be prepared for a dip in gas mileage," says Don MacKenzie, a
UCS vehicles engineer who served as a technical reviewer to Consumer Reports. "That said, E85
does reduce global warming emissions by 8-16 percent on a per-mile basis."
The reduction in global warming pollution is achieved because ethanol is made in large part from
corn, which reduces the amount of fossil energy used to produce the fuel. Even larger reductions
in petroleum use are achieved, since natural gas, rather than oil, is the main fossil fuel used to
make ethanol. Emerging technology may reduce global warming emissions from ethanol much
further, by making it possible to use a greater variety of feed materials and utilize a larger portion
of the plant.
Although E85 usually costs less per gallon than gasoline, the cost is not low enough to make up
for the lower energy content of the fuel. Over the past year, E85 has cost about 20 percent more
than gasoline, after adjusting for the energy content.
No matter what fuel is used, FFVs aren't as efficient as the average new vehicle. Every year
since 1998, FFVs have offered lower fuel economy than the average gasoline vehicle, a gap that
has grown in recent years. "The average FFV sold in 2005 gets almost 5 miles per gallon less
than the average vehicle, even before it takes the additional hit from using E85," said MacKenzie.
"A Chevy Tahoe burning E85 still produces 12-25 percent more global warming pollution than the
average car because of all the extra fuel it uses. If the automakers are serious about making
flex-fuel vehicles a responsible environmental choice, they need to improve the fuel economy of
all their vehicles and offer flex-fuel capability on all models rather than focusing on gas guzzlers."
The Union of Concerned Scientists is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to educate car
shoppers by including accurate mpg, cost, and environmental performance information on the
fuel economy window stickers of new FFVs. EPA announced earlier this year that it would revise
its standard window stickers after consumers complained that EPA's fuel economy numbers did
not reflect real-world performance.
Test Drive of Saturn "Hybrid" Vue
Our Vehicles Director, Jason Mark, recently had a sneak peak of the Saturn Vue Greenline, a car
that General Motors is calling a hybrid. The review? Nice use of conventional efficiency
technology, but it's not a hybrid. The new Vue uses a small battery pack that allows the car's
engine to turn off at a stoplight and instantly start up again upon pressing the accelerator, saving
fuel otherwise wasted during idling. EPA says the Greenline Vue boosts fuel economy by 20
percent compared to conventional models. That's half the fuel economy gain of real hybrid SUVs
on the market today, which also use their electric systems to reduce fuel use during normal
driving and capture more wasted energy from vehicle braking. Still, the Greenline Vue is nothing
to sneeze at. The engineers did an excellent job making the engine start and stop relatively
seamlessly (in fact, better than some hybrids on the road).
Source: http://www.ucsusa.org
Consumer Reports Finds Ethanol Worsens Vehicle Fuel Economy
9/01/06
A new study by Consumer Reports shows that when flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) run mostly on
ethanol instead of gasoline, the vehicle's fuel economy drops and fueling costs rise. This is not
surprising, according to calculations by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Consumer Reports test drove a 2007 Chevy Tahoe flex-fuel vehicle and found that the vehicle's
fuel economy dropped by 27 percent when fueled by E85 (a fuel that is 85 percent ethanol, 15
percent gasoline) rather than conventional gasoline. "Ethanol has a lower energy content than
gasoline, so consumers need to be prepared for a dip in gas mileage," says Don MacKenzie, a
UCS vehicles engineer who served as a technical reviewer to Consumer Reports. "That said, E85
does reduce global warming emissions by 8-16 percent on a per-mile basis."
The reduction in global warming pollution is achieved because ethanol is made in large part from
corn, which reduces the amount of fossil energy used to produce the fuel. Even larger reductions
in petroleum use are achieved, since natural gas, rather than oil, is the main fossil fuel used to
make ethanol. Emerging technology may reduce global warming emissions from ethanol much
further, by making it possible to use a greater variety of feed materials and utilize a larger portion
of the plant.
Although E85 usually costs less per gallon than gasoline, the cost is not low enough to make up
for the lower energy content of the fuel. Over the past year, E85 has cost about 20 percent more
than gasoline, after adjusting for the energy content.
No matter what fuel is used, FFVs aren't as efficient as the average new vehicle. Every year
since 1998, FFVs have offered lower fuel economy than the average gasoline vehicle, a gap that
has grown in recent years. "The average FFV sold in 2005 gets almost 5 miles per gallon less
than the average vehicle, even before it takes the additional hit from using E85," said MacKenzie.
"A Chevy Tahoe burning E85 still produces 12-25 percent more global warming pollution than the
average car because of all the extra fuel it uses. If the automakers are serious about making
flex-fuel vehicles a responsible environmental choice, they need to improve the fuel economy of
all their vehicles and offer flex-fuel capability on all models rather than focusing on gas guzzlers."
The Union of Concerned Scientists is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to educate car
shoppers by including accurate mpg, cost, and environmental performance information on the
fuel economy window stickers of new FFVs. EPA announced earlier this year that it would revise
its standard window stickers after consumers complained that EPA's fuel economy numbers did
not reflect real-world performance.
Test Drive of Saturn "Hybrid" Vue
Our Vehicles Director, Jason Mark, recently had a sneak peak of the Saturn Vue Greenline, a car
that General Motors is calling a hybrid. The review? Nice use of conventional efficiency
technology, but it's not a hybrid. The new Vue uses a small battery pack that allows the car's
engine to turn off at a stoplight and instantly start up again upon pressing the accelerator, saving
fuel otherwise wasted during idling. EPA says the Greenline Vue boosts fuel economy by 20
percent compared to conventional models. That's half the fuel economy gain of real hybrid SUVs
on the market today, which also use their electric systems to reduce fuel use during normal
driving and capture more wasted energy from vehicle braking. Still, the Greenline Vue is nothing
to sneeze at. The engineers did an excellent job making the engine start and stop relatively
seamlessly (in fact, better than some hybrids on the road).
Source: http://www.ucsusa.org