Buffalo, NY (WBEN) As President Biden waives a limit on ethanol in gasoline in an effort to lower pump prices, some are wondering how this may affect their cars as they motor about.
AAA's Jason Jailkowski says you likely won't notice a difference in your car's performance. "Most of the time we run e10 gasoline, which is 10% ethanol. So the extra 5% is something that your engine management system can easily compensate for," says Jaikowski. He says the biggest difference, though, could be environmental. He says 15 percent ethanol gasoline's carbon dioxide emissions are a little bit higher when you burn alcohol. "In the long run, that's not great for the environment," says Jaikowski, but he says it's just to keep the prices down as a temporary measure.
Jaikowski doubts mileage will be affected. "It'll make the engine burn a little bit warmer, it'll make the gasoline vaporize quicker in the combustion chamber, but with the engine management technology that most modern cars have, it will be compensated for," notes Jaikowski.
But Bob Gugino of Bison Automotive says savings could be canceled out by lower gas mileage. "The more percentage of alcohol...you have to use more of it to get the same amount of power. So the fuel mileage will decrease. So if the price even goes down a little bit, it really doesn't help a lot," says Gugino. He says for most cars built within the last 10 years, the extra ethanol should not affect their cars' performance.
Gugino says that means the money you save at the pump may not be realized. "It'll be a little cheaper. But E-85 if you look around, it's a few places that sell it in Western New York, it's less money to buy. But again, you use about 30% more from E85, which is 85% fuel 15% alcohol to something that's 90% fuel, and then 10% alcohol. You'll use quite a bit more. Now if (Biden's) gonna go 5 more percent on the alcohol, it's not going to be a third more, but it will be somewhat more," says Gugino. He says while you save 15 cents, that savings could be evaporated by less gas mileage.
Gugino notes lawn equipment that uses gas could be affected more. "That kind of thing that wasn't made for that percentage of alcohol and the fuel is definitely going to have some problems," says Gugino. He says how it does affect your equipment you'd have to go by the manufacturer of the equipment you own to determine.
