Math For Me?

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
08/07/2017 at 12:57 • Filed to: None

Okay so on regular gas @ $2.40gal I was getting 20MPG

On E-85 @ $2.05gal I saw 18MPG

I have a 26 gallon tank, if that matters.

I just filled up my truck for only the second time.... it came full of gas when I got it and I am PRETTY SURE they put regular in it. Last fill up was E-85, as was today’s. I have just over 1100 miles total on it.

I’m trying to math the difference in cost versus MPG to see which is better cost-wise but my brain is still sick-fogged and I can make numbers appear with my calculator, but for the life of me I can’t understand them.

I really should have stayed home. Good thing work is slow AF.

DISCUSSION (28)

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:02

On regular you’re paying $0.12/mile driven and on E-85 you’re paying $0.114/mile driven. E85 is the winner right now, but if this is your first E85 tank I’m assuming it was mixed with some regular still.

WilliamsSW > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:03

$2.40/20 = 12 cents/mile; $2.05/18=11.4 cents/ mile- - so, if everything else is equal (power??), the E85 is cheaper. That only saves you $72/year driving 12k miles, though, so if you’re losing anything else with E85, you’re underwater quickly.

random001 > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:06

According to maths, you will get 520 miles on regular, and 468 miles on E85.

On regular, the cost per mile will be $0.12, and $0.114 on E85.

For every 100000 miles, you will save $611.

Urambo Tauro > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:08

A while back, I was chatting with a local police officer, and he said that they had it all figured out, that E85 needed to be something like at least 30-35 cents cheaper than regular gas in order to be worth it.

Takuro Spirit > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/07/2017 at 13:10

It was down below a 1/4 tank so yeah. This tank is even more ethanol, so we’ll see if the mileage suffers even more.

Takuro Spirit > WilliamsSW
08/07/2017 at 13:11

Just losing time at the slow ass pump that’s between two regular pumps so it’s usually blocked and I have to wait.

Dave the car guy , still here > random001
08/07/2017 at 13:12

...And add the fact that in some areas driving to get E85 offsets the rewards if there are few E85 stations in the region. There are only 48 E85 stations in all of Ohio, so for people I know with the vehicles I tell them to fill up with it if its convenient when traveling.

WilliamsSW > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:14

That’s annoying - oovoo Master Mario is right about blending, so to really nail the numbers down, you should run a few tanks of one, then a few tanks of the other to verify. The savings seem fairly small, though, so I’m not sure I’d go out of my way for E85- - don’t you lose some power with it, too?

Takuro Spirit > Dave the car guy , still here
08/07/2017 at 13:16

There’s ONE station on my way to work that has it, but it’s at LEAST 10 cents higher than other stations slightly out of the way, or 30 cents higher than ones way out of the way.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:16

I had more trouble with this than I want to admit, but I think I got it, PLEASE SHOOT ME DOWN IF I’M WRONG:

E-85 is costing you a little over 11 cents a mile, the regular is costing you 12 cents a mile.

TLDR, total wash.

Takuro Spirit > Urambo Tauro
08/07/2017 at 13:17

Seems like the case here, with some YMMV (literally) thrown in. As long as I can maintain ~18mpg on it and the price difference stays at what it is I might stick with the E-85.

Takuro Spirit > WilliamsSW
08/07/2017 at 13:21

The station I stopped at is literally down the street from where I work, I pass it twice a day at least. Power? Uhh, I haven’t noticed, but rarely need to go WOT or anything. But this being only my second tank on it we’ll see. First fill up was at about a 1/4 tank of regular to 3/4 E-85... now I mixed E-85 into that tank when it was down to 1/4.

random001 > Dave the car guy , still here
08/07/2017 at 13:21

I only fill up on E85 when I’m running SUPER boost mode.

Takuro Spirit > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/07/2017 at 13:22

Seems to be the concisus. There’s stations near me but the opposite direction from work with it for $1.95 and even $1.75 a gallon.... if I were out that way more often it’d make a better case.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:23

Also, easy way to determine if E85 is worth it- if (E85 MPG)/(regular MPG) is greater than (E85 price)/(regular price), then E85 is the cheaper fuel to run.

Takuro Spirit > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/07/2017 at 13:24

Cool. Will try to rmember that formula.

Ah, who am I kidding. I’m printing that out and sticking it to my gauge cluster ;)

Dave the car guy , still here > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:50

We still have a few E-0 stations around here. I’ve been wanting to see how my car runs after my 93 oct tune if I run non-ethanol for first tank of a trip. I would have to get race fuel because most on the gas station with it dropped to 90-91 octane only a few have anything higher. The higher octane is 109 or 110.

Dark chocolate > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/07/2017 at 13:55

Kinja'd!!!

WilliamsSW > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 13:58

It would be fun to figure it out with a longer test, but unless the numbers change, I think I would fill up with E85 as long as I didn’t have to wait for the pump.

Takuro Spirit > Dave the car guy , still here
08/07/2017 at 14:01

Kwik Trip around here is replacing mid-grade 89 with 88 that has a higher ethanol blend, but will be CHEAPER than regular 87. People are confused as shit.

Dave the car guy , still here > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 14:10

I’d bet its E-15 which is being pushed in certain regions. Most fuel is E-10 which really pisses me off that they don’t mark the pumps with the numbers in all stations of all states. There is just a sticker saying this fuel contains ethanol in some places.

Takuro Spirit > Dave the car guy , still here
08/07/2017 at 14:11

E-15 it is. Most of ours are clearly marked, even the “E- 85 " pump says “contains at LEAST 51% Ethanol”

Dave the car guy , still here > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 14:24

If you ever know anyone experimenting with high octane real gas make sure they look to see if its leaded or unleaded, wouldn’t want to damage a converter. Also it must be a high compression engine to see any benefit.

BLCKSTRM > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 17:39

Regular gas @ $2.40gal getting 20MPG:

20MPG/$2.40 = 8.3333333 miles per dollar.

On E-85 @ $2.05gal getting 18MPG:

18MPG/$2.05 = 8.78 miles per dollar.

Assuming equal access, the ethanol is actually cheaper. And will also likely give you more power, which is either a nice benefit when you need it or will encourage you to get your foot into it and actually result in WORSE real mpgs at the end of the day.

Takuro Spirit > BLCKSTRM
08/07/2017 at 17:45

I want my exhaust to smell like popcorn. Is that a thing?

BLCKSTRM > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 17:59

No, you’re confusing ethanol with biodiesel.

Make your own biodiesel from McDonald’s fryer oil and it will smell like French fries.

Takuro Spirit > BLCKSTRM
08/07/2017 at 19:37

I know :(

Fryer oil = french fries

Corn ethanol = ???

BLCKSTRM > Takuro Spirit
08/07/2017 at 20:47

Whisky?