We grow corn which uses a lot of water and needs heavy government subsidize to produce ethanol.
Sorry but you are just plain misinformed. Government subsidies to ethanol producers ended years ago. Ethanol trades at free market prices and has more BTU's per dollar than pure gasoline. Yes, it has less BTU's per gallon but it's cheaper than pure gasoline. On the other hand, oil and oil products (including MTBE) receive HUGE subsidies, more than ethanol producers ever received, many billions of dollars every year. How does that make you feel to learn you are not only misinformed but are helping others to become misinformed??
MTBE is a much better oxygenate than ethanol for fuel which is cheaper and easier to meet the emission standards.
Wrong again. It takes almost twice as much MTBE to provide the same oxygenation to gasoline as ethanol takes. Both have less BTU's per gallon but the additional MTBE means the hit to BTU's per gallon is not large. Ethanol has higher octane vs. MTBE as well.
But MTBE is possibly carcinogenic, easy to pollute groundwater and soil, now it requires 1~30 billion dollars to clean up after many years of usage!
This is one point we agree on and precisely why MTBE has been outlawed in most states. But the fact that you need so much more to achieve the same benefits does not make it a better oxygenate. And how, pray tell, is a $30 billion clean-up cost not a subsidy?
Ethanol has caused many issues on gasoline engines especially the corrosion in fuel system.
Misinformed again! I've been running 10% ethanol in a whole slew of vehicles over the previous 20 years and have never had fuel tank corrosion issues. Simply not a concern.
Ethanol is much less efficient, and sometimes even generating more emissions!
Wrong again! Ethanol is a very efficient oxygenate and the whole reason oxygenates are used is to decrease emissions.
It was called "Gasohol" when we're living in Iowa. at time it was cheaper due to government subsidization but everybody knew we should stay away from it!
This is hilarious! Just like everyone who "knows" a CX-5 will climb hills faster in the summer if you put premium in your tank! LOL!
Not to mention using heavy government subsidized, corn produced ethanol in the US caused food and feed prices went way up.
Pure gasoline receives huge government subsidies. Ethanol subsidies were phased out years ago.
Growing corn also requires a lot of water.
True, except when it rains a lot. MTBE extraction and oil extraction here in the US requires huge amounts of water and this does not diminish at all even if it's rained hard all month.
Unless using sugar cane produced ethanol such as in Brazil which has higher energy content than corn produced ethanol, our model just doesn't make sense under current energy policy!
Considering how misinformed you are, it doesn't surprise me you came to a conclusion that is not supported by the facts. Ethanol is ethanol. Brazilian ethanol has the same energy content as domestically produced corn ethanol.