Most will agree that the Biden administrations all out push for Electric Vehicles.. especially now with the growth of data centers.. may be a bridge too far.. too fast.

Flip side.. Trumps incursion into Iran with the Strait of Hormuz being closed shows the World how vulnerable we are to geopolitical events beyond our control.

When will we see relief at the pump?  Nobody can say for sure..

Therefore it’s IMPERATIVE to have options which is what ethanol does.. it bridges the gap.. with high octane.. which allows higher compression more fuel efficient vehicles. 

https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/research/why-high-octane-fuels-matter-for-fuel-economy/ 

 The article written in 2015 is still relevant today..

 According to research done by theArgonne National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Lab, fuels that blend between 25 to 40 percent ethanol with conventional gasoline, instead of the current 10% ethanol blend, can lead to greater fuel efficiency and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions.  Key findings from a recent Environmental and Energy Study Institute study: High Octane Fuels: Challenges & Opportunities include:

• There are potential economic, environmental, and engine benefits of high octane and mid-level ethanol blends.
• The combination of engine design and increased fuel quality could significantly increase engine efficiency in the production of future light-duty passenger vehicles.
• The Department of Energy has founded the Optima initiative to collaborate with fuel producers of ethanol and gasoline and the automotive industry to investigate the future fuel and engine designs.
• Optima’s goal is to reduce per-vehicle fuel consumption by 30 percent by 2030using a combination of improved fuels, growth of the bio-economy, and alternative vehicle technologies.
• If the Optima initiative achieves its goal, it could reduce petroleum consumption by 4.5 billion barrels and save consumers up to $50 billion.

EESI gives a nice summary of octane and its relationship to fuel economy:

The octane rating is a measure of a fuel’s ability to avoid knock. Knock occurs when fuel is prematurely ignited in the engine’s cylinder, which degrades efficiency and can be damaging to the engine. Before the introduction of unleaded gasoline in the mid-1970s, these ‘antiknock’ properties were provided by lead. The 1990 Clean Air Act amendments fully banned the use of lead in gasoline in the United States. Today, the octane boost to prevent knocks is provided by gasoline aromatics, which comprise more than 25 percent by volume of each gallon of gasoline.8 The primary sources of octane are petroleum refinery products, and ethanol. At most retail gasoline stations, three octane grades are offered, 87 (regular), 89 (mid-grade) and 91-93 (premium). The higher the octane number, the more resistant the gasoline mixture is to knock. Use of higher octane fuels enables higher compression ratios, turbocharging, downsizing/downspeeding, all of which enable greater engine efficiencies. Currently, high-octane fuel is marketed as ‘premium,’ but future combustion engines may require higher octane fuels to reach even greater engine efficiencies and higher mile-per-gallon ratings. At ORNL, researchers are investigating the benefits of ethanol as a renewable octane provider.

 

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