Hello, I just learned of this site (via an email list I subscribe to for drivers of the GM EV1 electric car). I had an EV-1 for 5 months prior to a recall to upgrade the charging assembly. I expect the car back next year. It was a great car - fast, high-tech, good-looking and a lot of fun to drive. (No tailpipe, either!) Meanwhile I am driving my 1993 FFV Taurus which can use up to 85% methanol in its tank. The 15% (or more) gasoline in the tank solves the cold start problem another person mentioned. Methanol (and ethanol) is a clean burning fuel that has an invisible flame. It is used by all the Indy 500 cars due to its high octane (well over 100) and because the drivers can see through a fuel fire on the track to avoid obstacles. Gasoline (and diesel) burns with a sooty yellow opaque flame. The 15% gasoline component of the M-85 fuel I can buy, doubles the emissions. Since I live in Silicon Valley, cold starting is not a problem - but the oil companies that sell the M-85 blend and the auto makers (Ford, in my case - that manufacture the FFV car I drive) have insisted on keeping this 15% gasoline component in the fuel. Recently, the contract (with the 3 filling stations in my area) to sell the M-85 fuel has expired, so I am forced to buy gasoline. I'm leaving shortly to attend a wedding in Sacramento where there are still some stations that sell the M-85 fuel. I hope to fill up with the Methanol blend while I am up there. There is an indicator on my dashboard that displays the percentage of methanol in my tank. I has been on 0 for the last few weeks. Hopefully I can get it up to 85% this weekend. I pay $1.039 per gallon for the M-85 fuel (using a special fueling card) while gasoline is around $2.00 per gallon lately. To be fair, I get about 13 miles per gallon on M-85 while I get about twice that on gasoline. I also drove a dual fuel car that ran on Propane or gasoline for a few years. That car had two fuel tanks and two carburetors using an Impco conversion. Since I am new to this site, I haven't read any of the over 1100 postings on this topic, so I may be redundant in my remarks. If any of you would like to correspond more on this subject, my email address is: JPohorsky@aol.com. I wrote a 4 page paper in 1990 entitled "A Pollution Solution" which explains what an FFV is, and how we can fight OPEC and the oil companies with alternative-fueled vehicles. I still have some printed copies left, if anyone would like one. I can also email the text version if preferred. Adios, Jerry
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Hello, I just learned of this site (via an email list I subscribe to for drivers of the GM EV1 electric car). I had an EV-1 for 5 months prior to a recall to upgrade the charging assembly. I expect the car back next year. It was a great car - fast, high-tech, good-looking and a lot of fun to drive. (No tailpipe, either!) Meanwhile I am driving my 1993 FFV Taurus which can use up to 85% methanol in its tank. The 15% (or more) gasoline in the tank solves the cold start problem another person mentioned. Methanol (and ethanol) is a clean burning fuel that has an invisible flame. It is used by all the Indy 500 cars due to its high octane (well over 100) and because the drivers can see through a fuel fire on the track to avoid obstacles. Gasoline (and diesel) burns with a sooty yellow opaque flame. The 15% gasoline component of the M-85 fuel I can buy, doubles the emissions. Since I live in Silicon Valley, cold starting is not a problem - but the oil companies that sell the M-85 blend and the auto makers (Ford, in my case - that manufacture the FFV car I drive) have insisted on keeping this 15% gasoline component in the fuel. Recently, the contract (with the 3 filling stations in my area) to sell the M-85 fuel has expired, so I am forced to buy gasoline. I'm leaving shortly to attend a wedding in Sacramento where there are still some stations that sell the M-85 fuel. I hope to fill up with the Methanol blend while I am up there. There is an indicator on my dashboard that displays the percentage of methanol in my tank. I has been on 0 for the last few weeks. Hopefully I can get it up to 85% this weekend. I pay $1.039 per gallon for the M-85 fuel (using a special fueling card) while gasoline is around $2.00 per gallon lately. To be fair, I get about 13 miles per gallon on M-85 while I get about twice that on gasoline. I also drove a dual fuel car that ran on Propane or gasoline for a few years. That car had two fuel tanks and two carburetors using an Impco conversion. Since I am new to this site, I haven't read any of the over 1100 postings on this topic, so I may be redundant in my remarks. If any of you would like to correspond more on this subject, my email address is: JPohorsky@aol.com. I wrote a 4 page paper in 1990 entitled "A Pollution Solution" which explains what an FFV is, and how we can fight OPEC and the oil companies with alternative-fueled vehicles. I still have some printed copies left, if anyone would like one. I can also email the text version if preferred. Adios, Jerry