At Sport Truck, it doesn't matter to us whether it's lifted or laid out-we love trucks. Unless the only reason you are reading this publication is because you are waiting to have your teeth drilled or eyes examined, the odds are good you do, too.
Welcome to the second installment of Alt-Fuel News & Views, where we present to Sport Truck's valued readers alternative fuel technologies available here and now to improve the quality of their daily lives and the performance of their trucks.
For those of you who missed our E-85 fuel expos in the Apr. '06 issue, we'll start with a recap of what was covered and offer earth-shattering developments that have occurred since we last met (Remember, the internet is only faster than print media if the webmaster remembers to update the page.)
You don't have to be a nuclear proctologist to figure out the mainstream mass media has set its sights on pickups and SUVs with intentions that aren't good. Here are some following facts to combat your brainwashed associates at work when they try to give you flack about owning a truck. (For an in-depth look at E85 see the Apr. issue of Sport Truck.)
E85 Fast Facts Update
With more than 5 million E85-capable flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) in the United States-most are pickups and SUVs-E85 is at the top of our list as an alternative fuel. Here's our fast-facts catch-up for those of you who missed it.
The ingredients of E85 are 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Most of the E85 on the market today contains ethanol made from corn, but that's just scratching the surface. Ethanol is a renewable fuel and can be made from cheese whey, reclaimed beer waste, agricultural waste (animal poop), forest waste (dead trees), and biomass (which means just about anything). By using E85, FFV owners can reduce gasoline consumption by 85 percent just by filling up. According to General Motors' website statistics on E85, it reduces fossil fuel usage by 40 percent and greenhouse gases by 30 percent, which can be verified through numerous sources.
The Ford Motor Company recently reported across-the-board horsepower increases of 5 percent on Ford FFVs using E85. General Motors states that E85's increased octane (105-octane) over gasoline produces more horsepower, but it will not say how much-L-59 5.3L spec charts do not reflect a horsepower increase. Ford and GM both mention less engine wear with E85, which translates into engines that produce less pollution during their lifespan because they consume-as in burn-less oil.