E100 Ethanol Group: Ban the sale of new gasoline vehicles instead of mandating EVs

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 

The top five emitters of net, new CO2 are:

1. Gasoline -                                       3.307 trillion lbs/yr
2. Coal for electricity production - 1.892 trillion lbs/yr
3. NG for electricity production -   1.425 trillion lbs/yr
4. NG for industrial use -                 1.210 trillion lbs/yr
5. Diesel for large trucks -               1.101 trillion lbs/yr
   _{(12 months ending 10/31/2022, EIA Nov. 22 and GREET2021)}

Comments:

1. Not to worry about coal. It's on the way out regardless of what CA or USA governments do. Utilities all over the country are replacing it on their own with NG, wind, and solar.
2. NG for electricity will go up as coal goes down, but only half as much. NG is twice as efficient as coal in terms of lbs/CO2 per KwHr.
3. NG for electricity will go up as nuclear comes off-line, but wind and solar should hold this to a minimum.
4. NG for industrial use is hard to lower, but increased efficiencies in industrial production hold volume more or less constant as the economy grows.
5. Diesel for large trucks has stayed constant within the range of 40 - 42 billion gals over the last 7 years.

Bottom line: You can't solve the problem of CO2 emissions and assure US independence from the world price of oil without getting rid of gasoline. The question becomes, how should we do that?

The current California Air Resources Board (CARB) plan is to require ZEVs (EVs or H2Vs) in CA for new light duty vehicles by 2035. There are problems with this:

A. It's an executive/administrative order so it can be changed by the next Governor or CARB Board.
B. It does not include net CO2 emissions from producing the electricity or hydrogen.
C. It will require massive dollar investment in new infrastructure and tax credits, both electric and hydrogen. 
D. It precludes the sale of bio-ethanol vehicles (BIOVs) since they emit CO2 at the tailpipe.
E. Car companies will be allowed to sell new gasoline vehicles right up to the 2035 deadline which means gasoline vehicles until 2055.

Banning new gasoline vehicles would let consumers choose between EVS, H2Vs, and BIOVs for new vehicles. Existing gasoline vehicles would live out their lives on gasoline.

Bio-ethanol CO2 is made from carbon already above ground (waste biomass) so no need to bring up crude oil.

EVs would end up powering local delivery trucks like Amazon, mail, and UPS trucks.  H2Vs would end up powering garbage trucks and buses.

BIOVs would end up powering most of the ordinary SUVs, PUs, and cars. Car companies can make E100 engines on the same production lines as they use for gasoline engines. A properly designed ethanol engine would cost the same as a gasoline engine, could not burn gasoline and would get the same mileage.

Bio-ethanol would use the same infrastructure we currently have for gasoline. Customers would pull up to the pump and in 5 minutes or so just go on their way for another 300 - 400 miles just like they do with gasoline. No change in lifestyle.

Most ethanol is currently made from corn and the American Petroleum Institute (API) has convinced the American people we would starve to death if we go to bio-EtOH vehicles. This, of course, is nonsense. In any case, corn ethanol is limited to 15B gallons per year and we are already at that point so the whole argument by the API is moot.

Is there precedent for a ban on the sale of new vehicles such as the one we propose? Yes. When we got rid of lead in gasoline, we didn't ban the sale of leaded gasoline, we banned the sale of new cars that burned it and left it up to consumers and producers on what to use in lead's place. Vehicles that burned leaded fuel were allowed to continue buying it until they wore out. We had leaded and unleaded pumps for almost 20 years, but we finally got rid of the lead. This same strategy can be used to rid us of gasoline. No need to wait until 2035 either.

Here's a specific proposal for what's needed in terms of legislation:

"It shall be illegal in the United States to sell a new light duty vehicle (EPA definition) that burns fossil gasoline or fossil diesel or any other fuel derived directly from crude oil or natural gas as the primary motor fuel beginning with model year 2028 or Jan. 1, 2028 whichever comes first. Primary means anything greater than 2% by volume for liquid fueled vehicles."

Contact:
Don Siefkes
586-596-4765
[email protected]

About:
The E100 Ethanol Group is a non-profit corporation wanting to bring about the end of gasoline as the primary motor fuel in the U.S.
Website: www.E100EthanolGroup.com

SOURCE E100 Ethanol Group