A related thread to "What's Next for the Yaris" (Ethanol) - Toyota Yaris Forums

Yaris Revenge · 06-05-2007, 05:15 PM

Okay, I didn't bother to read that article posted above, so if I state the already-stated, cut me some slack.

From what I've read in the past, the amount of energy needed to convert corn to ethanol is nearly the same as to convert oil to gasoline, so it's not any cheaper to produce. And in the process, the cost of EVERYTHING goes up via supply and demand because corn and corn starch are used for SO many different things. Not to mention, I've read that it actually takes nearly 2x the amount of ethanol to create the same power as gasoline, so you'd need to burn more of it (I know a guy who runs an ethanol-powered stock car that has confirmed this).

Sugar cane converts much more readily to ethanol. Wonder how that works out financially?

Also, whatever happened to the switch grass idea? Switch grass is supposed to yield a 4-1 energy return when converted to ethanol, is indigenous to North America, and is supposed to be very hardy. Unlike corn, the entire plant can be used for ethanol. The President mentioned it in a state of the union address, there was a big media buzz, and then it went dead silent within 2 months. WHAT HAPPENED THERE??? I'm thinking maybe those that stood to gain from corn-based ethanol greased some political palms. Bastards.

Hydrogen is cool and all, but tricky to deal with. It's the most abundant element in the universe, but you always have to strip it off of something else, which requires extra energy to process. And, being the tiniest element, it's hard to trap. That would require all hydrogen-powered cars and hydrogen fueling stations to be meticulously maintained to prevent seepage. I just don't see owners and gas stations keeping up with it.

And there's one major drawback to hydrogen cars. Unless it's a closed-loop rechargeable system, they produce water vapor. Most people would say, "Hey, water vapor is better than carbon dioxide!"

BUZZZZ! Wrong! Do some research, and you'll find that water vapor traps more heat than carbon dioxide. So from a global-warming stance, water vapor is the last thing you want to add to our atmosphere. Here, read about it yourself. And can you imagine the humidity? Ugh.

~YR

06-05-2007, 05:15 PM	#16
Yaris Revenge GIGA...DRILL...BREAKER!!! Drives: Lagann. ;P Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: My own little world. Posts: 717	Okay, I didn't bother to read that article posted above, so if I state the already-stated, cut me some slack. From what I've read in the past, the amount of energy needed to convert corn to ethanol is nearly the same as to convert oil to gasoline, so it's not any cheaper to produce. And in the process, the cost of EVERYTHING goes up via supply and demand because corn and corn starch are used for SO many different things. Not to mention, I've read that it actually takes nearly 2x the amount of ethanol to create the same power as gasoline, so you'd need to burn more of it (I know a guy who runs an ethanol-powered stock car that has confirmed this). Sugar cane converts much more readily to ethanol. Wonder how that works out financially? Also, whatever happened to the switch grass idea? Switch grass is supposed to yield a 4-1 energy return when converted to ethanol, is indigenous to North America, and is supposed to be very hardy. Unlike corn, the entire plant can be used for ethanol. The President mentioned it in a state of the union address, there was a big media buzz, and then it went dead silent within 2 months. WHAT HAPPENED THERE??? I'm thinking maybe those that stood to gain from corn-based ethanol greased some political palms. Bastards. Hydrogen is cool and all, but tricky to deal with. It's the most abundant element in the universe, but you always have to strip it off of something else, which requires extra energy to process. And, being the tiniest element, it's hard to trap. That would require all hydrogen-powered cars and hydrogen fueling stations to be meticulously maintained to prevent seepage. I just don't see owners and gas stations keeping up with it. And there's one major drawback to hydrogen cars. Unless it's a closed-loop rechargeable system, they produce water vapor. Most people would say, "Hey, water vapor is better than carbon dioxide!" BUZZZZ! Wrong! Do some research, and you'll find that water vapor traps more heat than carbon dioxide. So from a global-warming stance, water vapor is the last thing you want to add to our atmosphere. Here, read about it yourself. And can you imagine the humidity? Ugh. ~YR __________________ Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.