Has your gas mileage decreased? Here’s why.
I’ve noticed a 10% reduction in my fuel economy over the last month. For the last four years I’ve averaged 30 mpg without much variation. So when it suddenly dropped to 27 mpg a few weeks ago, I began to wonder why. Lo and behold, my local gas station had the answer.
Beginning Nov. 1st, gas stations in Maine began selling a gasoline blend containing 10% ethanol. No, this wasn’t mandated by the state or feds, so I still don’t know what the reasoning is behind this, but I have a pretty good guess. It certainly can’t be to improve the air – I’m burning 10% more gas than I was a month ago. I drive an average of 15,000 miles per year. At 30 mpg I average 500 gallons per year. So next year, if my driving habits stay the same, I’ll burn 550 gallons! What does that mean statewide? As of 2005, there were 1.1 million drivers on Maine roads. Multiply my 50 gallons by 1.1 million drivers and you’ve got an additional 55 billion gallons of gas that will be purchased because of this rediculous gas additive! Granted not everyone gets 30 mpg, but even if that were halved, we’d have 22.5 billion additional gallons. At $2 a gallon, that’s 45 billion dollars going where?
Thankfully gas prices are more manageable now, but that’s not the point…more likely, that’s the reason.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that big oil is behind this. Because of recent out-of-control gas prices, Americans were forced to reduce their driving. Gas prices are down, profits are down at BP, Exxon Mobil , to name a couple, and consumption is down. So if I’m Mr. Big Oil CEO, I have to figure a way to get Joe Sixpack to buy more of my gas. Adding a little ethanol is an easy way to pick up 40 or 50 billion dollars in sales.
Maine DEP: Ethanol in Gasoline
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I recently found out Toyota is considering recalling all vehicles with acceleration malfunctions . My friend has one, should the Toyota be driven before being replaced?