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Just read up on RFG (Summer Gas). I knew Houston was an RFG zone, but it covers a good area of suburbia, so I'll be hit. From what I read the refinery transition is:

Summer Gas: June 1 through September 15
Winter Gas: September 16 through May 31

It basically works out to California, New England and Houston with a few other areas thrown in.

Here's a map of the regions that require summer gas: Map of Reformulated Gasoline (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/reformulated_map.html)

I wasn't able to find any concrete number on what the reduction in FE on RFG is, but from what I've read it will effect FE negatively (lower MPG).

Guess I'll have to fill up whenever I go to see my folks.

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:confused: Did I get it backwards? Found mention of summer gas having higher BTU content than winter gas (Beating the EPA). But from what I read at the EPA reformulated gas is used in the summer and has causes a "minor" reduction in FE.

I'm inclined to believe xcel over the EPA on this one, but seek clarification.

Edit: Nevermind.... found the use of the key word "conventional" in the article.

Here's the whole quote that got me confused:
Try and purchase high BTU content gasoline if available: Fuels Vary in Energy Content and some fuels contain less energy than others. Using oxygenated fuels or reformulated gasoline (RFG), can cause a small decrease (1-3%) in fuel economy. In addition, the energy content of gasoline varies from season to season. Typical summer conventional gasoline contains about 1.7% more energy than typical winter conventional gasoline.

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The whole summer/winter gas thing is anything but clear cut. IMHO E10 constitutes a boutique fuel but due to some funky bending at the EPA to appease the oil giants they can't actually call it such.

Here in Reno we're on E10 all year round and E10 with 2.7% oxygenates by weight from 10/1 to 1/31 (don't worry, those date selections don't make sense to me, either, considering our most precipitation and coldest temperatures usually occur in February/March). Again, IMHO that means we're on some form of RFG all year round but the EPA is very careful to only call our Winter gas an RFG.

The mileage change with RFG is just as muddy as what's in the gas itself. On rare occasions I have seen folks claim a small MPG gain on this stuff but at least 75% of other posters claim a 3-10% MPG loss. If you filter out the noise I think a 2-5% MPG decrease is the norm and that fits my own mileage logging results in my old car last Fall.

I have no idea what my Yaris would do on straight fuel as it's never had any in it.

... I have no idea what my Yaris would do on straight fuel as it's never had any in it.

My Volvo also can't remember what proper straight fuel is.
We just have to do the best you can with what they throw at us.
And remember to vote.

I suspect that a very few of us commute across state lines in such a way that we can choose a non-RFG gas station. However I'd estimate that if you need to drive even a few extra miles to get it, the benefit is used up in the extra travel. If your commute gives you the option, do the math.

Is there any way to tell what you're getting at the pump?

Is there any way to tell what you're getting at the pump?
Yes and no. There is no Federal law for it but most States/locales that force E10 have local ordinances that mandate it be labeled at the pump. Here in Reno there are plastic blue rectangular placards about 5x3in that say something like "This pump dispenses fuel that contains no more than 10% ethanol" on every gasoline pump at every station.

I've noticed in California, at least where I stopped along I-80 just east of Sacramento for fuel once early this year, these gold/red stickers about 3in in diameter on each pump that had a little pie chart showing the E10 content.

However, none of these things show the Winter reformulation from 10/1 to 01/31 here in Reno, and I cannot find anything meaningful on "rfg", "winter gas" "oxygenates" or the like on either the State's, city's nor local newspaper's web sites. I had to get that information from the EPA.

Hi All:

___Winter RFG is worse in terms of FE then Summer RFG (higher Oxygen content) and any RFG is worse then straight gasoline for the same reason(s), less caloric content. If the EPA mandated Winter RFG in your area, you more then likely have summer RFG as well :( No guarantee but more then likely. E10 is a local addition added to RBOB at the distribution facility which knocks yet more calories out of a single gallon of gasoline. Many areas of the country including Milwaukee through Chicago and into Gary are stuck with Summer/Winter RFG w/ E10 unfortunately :(

___As far as Clean Burning Gasoline, California’s (CA CBG) is the best available but also the most expensive.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi All:

___Winter RFG is worse in terms of FE then Summer RFG (higher Oxygen content) and any RFG is worse then straight gasoline for the same reason(s), less caloric content. If the EPA mandated Winter RFG in your area, you more then likely have summer RFG as well :( No guarantee but more then likely. E10 is a local addition added to RBOB at the distribution facility which knocks yet more calories out of a single gallon of gasoline. Many areas of the country including Milwaukee through Chicago and into Gary are stuck with Summer/Winter RFG w/ E10 unfortunately :(

___As far as Clean Burning Gasoline, California’s (CA CBG) is the best available but also the most expensive.

___Good Luck

___WayneAny suggestions on who I call to find out if my county has:
- E10 mandated for summer?
- E10 mandated for winter?
- RFG mandated for summer?
- RFG mandated for winter?

Man it's getting hard sorting this mess out... thanks for the replies.

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Dan,

I would start by contacting your city or county environmental office. These things are usually handled at the State level, though, so don't be surprised if they hand you off to either the environmental or transportation unit at that level.

Hi all--

I don't know where to begin to understand all this. Can anyone point me to a good website for basic understanding? I tried to Google it, without good results, but some of you here know way more than me. --RN

HCHCIN:

Here's a great page that explains, in layman's terms, the different boutique fuels. It also has a ton of information about the other additives that are Federally mandated:

http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/types_of_gasoline.html


Here is one of the EPA's documents showing when/where the boutique fuels mentioned in the first link are used:

http://www.epa.gov/OTAQ/regs/fuels/420b05013.pdf


Here is a quaint summary from the FTC regarding boutique fuels:

http://www.ftc.gov/bc/gasconf/comments2/larsonrobert.pdf


Here is the EPA's page for boutique fuels. It's hard to navigate but it's a week's worth of reading:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/boutique.htm


And here is a quick article on what the EPA is doing with boutique fuels this year:

http://www.npnweb.com/uploads/washingtonperspective/2007/0207_wash.asp

Sweet. Thanks Brian. --RN