How does fuel ethanols energy content compare to that of diesel and does it affect vehicle mileage?
Fuel ethanol has roughly two-thirds the energy content of diesel fuel, but three factors suggest ethanol diesel blends have little or no impact on fuel economy. First, since O2Diesel™ is an oxygenated fuel, its better combustion efficiency offsets some of the potential loss. Second, O2Diesel™ uses a modest amount of ethanol (7.7vol%) in its blend formulation, thus achieving the lowest energy impact. Third, the urban driving cycle of fleets (buses, delivery vehicles, etc.) has demonstrated no statistical mileage difference between O2Diesel™ and standard diesel fuels.
