MPG Increase - Non-Ethanol Gas - What to Expect?

Fifteen(+?) years ago, there were only about 2000 to 4000 E0 sources, yet some stations were selling E0 for only pennies to 10cents more per gallon. Now that there are nearly 15,000 E0 sources, the price gap between E0 & E10, even at "well" priced E0 stations is wide.

 

Ah..... advanced tech used to make ethanol, that when only 10% of it is blended & diluted into gasoline, causes MPG to collapse to 8% to 5% BELOW that of standard 87 octane gasoline(E0). Advanced tech, to ya.

 

Because the sellers can charge that much more, and people still buy it. Being able to charge more for E0 is why more stations have bothered to make the investment to carry it.

 

Nah! You don't talk to E0 sellers. I've talked to many E0 sellers. They truly believe in E0 (as all sellers should). E0 sellers are proud of the E0 they sell..... & sell it DESPITE E0 not making a pile of cash for them.

 

I guess that you're lucky you're not going through Florida, because, by law you're not allowed to use NON-Ethanol gasoline in FL. It's only legal for Off-Road applications.
With the E10, I can get MPG up into the 40's on a typical road trip. Yesterday, I took my 2020 Kia Soul LX (2.0L) IVT (intelligent variable transmission) out for a little jaunt of 127.2 miles, on mostly two lane state roads, and got 41.7 mpg according to the computer on the car. Gawd, I love this car!

 

Generally, car computer MPG readouts over-estimate 87 octane E10 MPG. The use of 87 octane ethanol-free gasoline(E0) tends to accurize car computer readouts AND at higher numbers. My last five 87 octane gasoline cars have greater MPG than 87 octane E10, by 8%, 8%, 7%-8%, 7%, & 5%, by using 87 octane E0.

 

That law was over-turned many years ago. Now, Florida has well over 900 E0 sources to legally use E0 on the highway.

 

Well, that may well be, but, my car was not built for E0. It runs great on E10, they only warn against the use of E80.
And I don't use or trust the On-Board MPG meter. I use the SCAN GAUGE II, for more accurate information.

I learned about it, many years ago, on this very forum. And I've used it to improve my own driving style, so that I might gain the optimum in MPG.
With that and a little P&G, I've become a real High Miler. I buy my fuel, E10 at a number of different stations. Not all even carry E0. I do try to frequent TOP TIER stations.
And, I do use Techron, fuel system additive every 3k or so miles. And with every 3k oil change I add about 8oz of Prolong Anti Friction Additive, to my oil. And, of course, I
also use a K&N Air Cleaner, which I service myself.
All told, my little 2.0L KIA Soul is a real Top Performer.
I want to thank this Forum, and it's High Miling Experts, for much of what I've learned about getting better MPG.
Cheers Mates!

 

I learned so much here as well but sadly it has few members/more on inactive members.

 

Just found some non-ethanol gasoline that was percentage-wise, lower priced than when I stopped using 100% gasoline because of its increasingly outrageous price. After filling the 2016 manual Elantra, the tank still had 3.5 gallons(28%) of the 10% ethanol blend. Despite that, I was hoping the Guess-o-meter would register a more robust MPG beyond 40MPG. As I neared home, it was at 48+MPG. That did include a bit of highway, town, & 400foot hills driving, so that wasn’t too bad. Oh, I just remembered that one of my same trips years ago, from a different 100% station with the 2013 automatic Elantra produced 46 MPG on the Guess-o-meter. & that was a 100% tank of non-ethanol. So yes, REALLY not so bad. If I can get 100% non-ethanol in the tank, it might produce 49+MPG. Colder weather & lower MPG winter gas coming tho.
Plus, if the price ratio goes up between 10% ethanol & 100% non-ethanol again, I probably won’t use the good brew too long.

 

Not to pick on a sick guy, but isn't that down from your recent exploits? (https://www.cleanmpg.com/community/index.php?threads/56618/page-15#post-444652)
Just yanking your chain... you're doing great!

 

Oh, how observant of you!!! That 51.8MPG was on a warmer day, easier drive, no towns, most all highway(no one pushing me), fewer stop lights, & no hills. Also, was on a considerably longer drive, which really pushes MPG up, if you’re driving on a high MPG, top-gear course. The 2013 automatic Elantra is geared 7% higher than the 2016 manual Elantra(more with the Big Boots), which helps the 2013 MPG when its in top-gear.
PS…..Also, the Guess-o-meter is more accurate with 100% gasoline, rather than the 10% ethanol fuel blend.

 

With another fill of non-ethanol gasoline, the small remaining portion of 10% ethanol blend is down to about 10%, meaning that only about 1% ethanol remains in the tank. On a trip around the valley, the Guess-o-meter built to a high of 52+MPG in colder weather. So the non-ethanol gasoline is looking good, as it always universally did in the past.

 

I've never had another car push me.
Must be a Washington state thing.
It would be nice if they did , though.

 

Every time you can see the bug legs on the bumper of Jeep or pick-up that was a third of a mile behind you, but is tailgating you now, you know that vehicle wants in front of you…..specially if it has its headlights on. The bright headlights from speeding vehicles mean, “Get out of my way, I’m coming through”.

 

That's why all cars are so powerful today.
They can go around me anytime they like.

 

That’s what I let them do, too. But, on the backroads here in Washington state, there are lots of road bends & hills, that hinder passing. The traffic is increasing too, so the Jeeps, pickups & wannabee racers have to tailgate me. I speed up to the speed limit, when people are behind me, but that ain’t fast enough for lots of people.

 

In my youth, I used to use the passing lanes on back roads. Now, those passing zones are essentially gone, which fits my lack of need to pass anyway...

 

That's what I do,also.

 

Haven’t used ethanol-free gasoline in a long time since the ethanol-industry-paid-Congress has caused a totally wide cost difference between ethanol-free gasoline & the regular ten percent brew. Went on a bus tour with the local Senior Citizen Center & surprisingly the driver stopped and filled up with ethanol-free gasoline. He treated the engine “oh so nice” with ethanol-free by tanking up with about 33 gallons.
HOWEVER, that true gasoline cost $5.799 per gallon. Now I remember why I had to quit using 100%ethanol-free.