95 or E85 fuel?

[PAV123]

Has a 2021 Mazda 3, and according to the sticker when refilling, it is marked with 4 different fuel options, including E85 and E20.
Since E85 is about 5 thb cheaper than 95, I am considering switching to E85.
BUT what will be positive or negative about doing this?
Will you lose power in the engine, less Km per liter with E85?
Hope you can help me make the choice as I am not a car expert hahaha.
Thanks in advance for all the help.

[kotsak]

https://mechanicbase.com/cars/e85-vs-gasoline-comparison/

 

Check the Ethanol vs. Gasoline Differences section..

 

[PAV123]

51 minutes ago, kotsak said:

https://mechanicbase.com/cars/e85-vs-gasoline-comparison/

 

Check the Ethanol vs. Gasoline Differences section..

 

Cheers, will stick with 95 for sure.

 

[London Lowf]

Ethanol degrades rubbers and plastics, but cars manufactured in the last decade or so have been designed to take this into account - up to a point.

 

I have a 2018 Ford, and from the owner's manual "We recommend that you fill the fuel tank with fuel that does not contain ethanol if you intend to store your vehicle for more than two months."

 

I wish I'd read that before I left the car in the garage for five months for my last trip to LOS ????

[VocalNeal]

12 minutes ago, London Lowf said:

We recommend that you fill the fuel tank with fuel that does not contain ethanol if you intend to store your vehicle for more than two months."

Because ethanol is hydroscopic?

[CharlieH]

Used E85 since day one, never had any issues, car runs perfectly. It was recommended by Honda so stuck with it.

Used 95 when E85 not available.

[digbeth]

mileage in cost/kilometre might not work out cheaper

some find their sweet spot with E20 or the regular E10 95 'Gasohol' 

[London Lowf]

50 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Because ethanol is hydroscopic?

Partly, yes - the same reason your brake and clutch fluids are sealed from the atmosphere.

 

And partly because ethanol (maybe all alcohols?) slowly dissolves many rubbers and plastics used in vehicle fuel systems.

[CharlieH]

Purely for additional information:

 

" E85 is actually safer for your engine than regular gasoline is. E85 flex fuel not only powers your engine but also cleans your engine, fuel lines, and fuel injectors. That’s because E85 contains a high amount of ethanol, up to 83%."

 

Source

 

The comments of degrading lines etc are a perpetuated story relating to vehicles PRE 1994 NOT later vehicles that use appropriate materials for this fuel and its delivery system.

 

[Yellowtail]

59 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Purely for additional information:

 

" E85 is actually safer for your engine than regular gasoline is. E85 flex fuel not only powers your engine but also cleans your engine, fuel lines, and fuel injectors. That’s because E85 contains a high amount of ethanol, up to 83%."

 

Source

 

The comments of degrading lines etc are a perpetuated story relating to vehicles PRE 1994 NOT later vehicles that use appropriate materials for this fuel and its delivery system.

 

I'm not arguing, but you source in in the business of selling E85 conversions. 

 

You can put abrasives in your oil that will keep your crankcase cleaner as well. 

 

If you get better economy using ethanol, that is a good reason for using it. 

 

Do you not wonder why if it is a better fuel, governments the world over have to mandate it be used? 

 

 

[BritManToo]

With E20, 91 and 95 within 0.2bht of each other (all 39.xx) ...... might as well use 95!

Just filled up my m/c with 95 this morning.

[Yellowtail]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

With E20, 91 and 95 within 0.2bht of each other (all 39.xx) ...... might as well use 95!

Just filled up my m/c with 95 this morning.

Good decision given there is significantly less energy in a liter of alcohol than there is in a liter of gasoline.

[KhunBENQ]

20 hours ago, PAV123 said:

Since E85 is about 5 thb cheaper than 95, I am considering switching to E85.

The price advantages of E20 and E85 have melted down.

Can't comment on E85 but for E20 and my car it doesn't pay currently.

 

To be sure about your car you would have to do proper comparison of fuel consumption and then do the math. Maybe currently also not worth using E85.

 

[KhunBENQ]

20 hours ago, PAV123 said:

Since E85 is about 5 thb cheaper than 95, I am considering switching to E85.

5 Baht only? I see 7.81 Baht cheaper (picture from March 2, 2022).

Might vary depending on location.

Gives 25% more fuel for the same price.

(1000 Baht: 25.6 l of 95, 32.1 l of E85)

I doubt that E85 consumption would be that higher.

The 1 Baht difference of E20 does not pay for me.

It was 3 Baht cheaper over a long time.

 

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

With E20, 91 and 95 within 0.2bht of each other (all 39.xx) ...... might as well use 95!

And the topic is about E85 (sure not for motorcycle).

 

Just repeating for the OP: do a comparison and find whether it makes sense economically.

Your car is specified and can run all non Diesel stuff.

I am fed up reading those medieval stories about Ethanol being dangerous to motor, seals etc. etc.

The Japanese build Ethanol capable cars since maybe two decades.

Age old cars run on "95" Ok, but this still is E10 (Ethanol fuel). Users of pure Benzene/Petrol (46/47 Baht) are a rare breed. Also not easily available.

 

[realfunster]

18 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The price advantages of E20 and E85 have melted down.

Can't comment on E85 but for E20 and my car it doesn't pay currently.

 

To be sure about your car you would have to do proper comparison of fuel consumption and then do the math. Maybe currently also not worth using E85.

 

From a couple of sources I have read, E85 (85% ethanol) would run 15-25% less efficient than standard gasoline/petrol*, the differential would be smaller compared with Gasohol95 (10% ethanol).

Without over-analyzing, likely switching from Gasohol95 to E85 would be a break even on costs saved vs fuel efficiency.

 

However, E85 does have the clear advantage over reduced air pollutants though !

 

*I ran the prices picture via my google camera and was amused to see the yellow item at 46THB is apparently ‘normal’ gasoline/petrol. Didn’t even know it was available but not tempting at that price anyway !

[KhunBENQ]

10 minutes ago, realfunster said:

From a couple of sources I have read, E85 (85% ethanol) would run 15-25% less efficient than standard gasoline/petrol*

If it's that bad it would not make much sense currently.

I don't have own experience as my car is only certified up to E20.

Using E85 would require fiddling with motor control (ECU) which I would not do.

[KhunBENQ]

19 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Didn’t even know it was available but not tempting at that price anyway !

Only available at the most major stations (of course in the cities).

I think I would need a 50 km trip to find it.

Esso took over Susco stations here which was the closest before (25 km).

[KhunLA]

If you car is designed for E85, then by all means use it.  Our is (MG ZS), thankfully.  Tested against E20 & 91, and E85 gets the same or better kpl, and performs notably, though marginally better using E85.

 

At today's fuel cost, that's about ฿20k saved over 30k kms / 1.5 yrs of owning (Sept 2020), as the ZS is due for 30k kms oil change this week.  So approx ฿20k to be saved over the next 30k kms or 1.5 yrs of future driving, at today's silly fuel cost.

[Yellowtail]

59 minutes ago, realfunster said:

From a couple of sources I have read, E85 (85% ethanol) would run 15-25% less efficient than standard gasoline/petrol*, the differential would be smaller compared with Gasohol95 (10% ethanol).

Without over-analyzing, likely switching from Gasohol95 to E85 would be a break even on costs saved vs fuel efficiency.

I do not think this is accurate. Given alcohol has about 30% less energy per unit volume than does gasoline, a liter of E85 (15% alcohol) would have about 95.5% the energy of 100% gasoline. 1-0.15x0.30 = 0.955

 

So all things being the same, one would expect E85 to be 4-5% less efficient. 

 

59 minutes ago, realfunster said:

However, E85 does have the clear advantage over reduced air pollutants though !

Only if you do not include the energy used to produce the ethanol  It's also worth noting that people and livestock can actually eat corn, oil, wind, solar, coal? Not so tasty. 

 

That governments mandate gasohol is idiocy. 

 

59 minutes ago, realfunster said:

*I ran the prices picture via my google camera and was amused to see the yellow item at 46THB is apparently ‘normal’ gasoline/petrol. Didn’t even know it was available but not tempting at that price anyway!

I noticed B7 & B10 were the same prices last time I filled up....

[DaRoadrunner]

You should see the rust that built up on a fuel tank pump that had been running Ethanol.

Factor in cost of new pump and 95 works out cheaper. Car runs better on 95 too.

[FriendlyFarang]

On 4/4/2022 at 3:10 PM, Yellowtail said:

a liter of E85 (15% alcohol) would have about 95.5% the energy of 100% gasoline. 1-0.15x0.30 = 0.955

E85 = 85% alcohol, so about 75% of the energy content of pure gasoline

[Yellowtail]

4 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

E85 = 85% alcohol, so about 75% of the energy content of pure gasoline

I did not know that...

[VocalNeal]

On 4/4/2022 at 1:52 PM, realfunster said:

From a couple of sources I have read, E85 (85% ethanol) would run 15-25% less efficient than standard gasoline/petrol*, the differential would be smaller compared with Gasohol95 (10% ethanol).

In Brazil my "flex" car produced more power on alcohol, according to the manual But I got about 75%of the range on Alcool (98% alcohol) than I did on gasoline. 

 

The only real way to compare is a tankful of each fuel and do the math(s)