Ethanol solely incorporates two thirds the quantity of vitality of an equal quantity of gasoline, but engines make extra energy burning it than gasoline. This video from Engineering Defined will inform you why.

The secret is ethanol’s greater octane score than pump gasoline. Straight ethanol has an octane score of 109, in comparison with a most 97 octane for pump gasoline (ethanol is normally blended with gasoline when offered, nonetheless). The upper score means better resistance to knock, the untimely detonation of gas that may harm engines. That permits engines to run greater compressions ratios and, within the case of charged engines, extra enhance. In each situations you are elevated energy.

As defined within the video, ethanol has the next octane score than gasoline partially as a result of it helps maintain cylinder temperatures decrease. Like sweat cooling you down on a scorching day, gas pulls warmth out of the encircling cylinder whereas vaporizing. This course of, known as warmth of vaporization, occurs at a better charge with ethanol than gasoline—significantly with direct injection.

The efficiency benefit of ethanol was proven in a Ford research during which the automaker ran a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 from an F-150 pickup truck on a wide range of fuels. That included E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline), the commonest ethanol mix, and E10, the 90%-gasoline/10%-ethanol mix that’s the default gas at most U.S. fuel stations.

At 5,000 rpm and with turbo enhance turned up, the engine made 380 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque on E85, however solely 190 hp and 200 lb-ft on E10—partially as a result of the engine was capable of run the next compression ratio on E85.

One potential disadvantage is worse gas economic system. Ford engineers did observe effectivity enhancements, and even noticed a 1% mpg enhance on E20 gas (20% ethanol, 80% gasoline), however greater quantities of ethanol would cancel that out as a result of ethanol is much less vitality dense than gasoline. With much less vitality in a gallon of ethanol than a gallon of gasoline, extra gas is required to drive a given distance.

The manufacturing vehicles that make the most of the power-producing capabilities of E85 aren’t involved with mpg, although. The Koenigsegg Jesko’s twin-turbo 5.0-liter V-8 makes 1,600 hp on E85, in comparison with 1,280 hp on pump gasoline.

E85 can be how the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will get the complete 1,025 hp and 945 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. Output falls to 900 hp and 810 lb-ft on E10 gas. At full energy, Dodge says the Demon 170 will do 0-60 mph in 1.66 seconds on a prepped floor, sending the current-generation Challenger off on a excessive observe.