Woman Goes To USA Gas For Fuel. Then She Realizes Their Gas Is Ethanol Free: 'This Is More Than I Usually Have'

Drivers across the country have been feeling the pain of higher gas prices. While many are looking to find the cheapest pump, some are experimenting with ethanol free gas.

A woman decided to try it to see if it lasts longer and if it’s worth paying the extra fee.

In a TikTok with over 104,800 views as of this writing, Krysisha (@laughsnsmiles10) documents her week after filling up her 2023 Hyundai Kona with ethanol free gas.

“I’m here at an ethanol free gas station. We’re gonna see how long my gas lasts because honestly I’ve been filling up weekly: $40 a tank,” Krysisha begins.

At the pump, regular gas is $3.59/gallon, while the ethanol free is $4.50/gallon.

“I’m willing to take one for the team just to see if this truly makes a big difference in me saving gas and maybe possibly money over time,” Krysisha says.

As the total comes up to $52, or over 25% more than her usual spend, she adds, “This better last me two weeks.”

In part two, Krysisha provides a midweek update. With just over a half tank left, Krysisha only notices a subtle difference so far.

“This is more than what I usually have by Wednesdays. By Wednesdays I’m either past the half way mark or right here, getting ready to be a quarter empty,” she says.

In part three, Krysisha reports the outcome as she fills up. She concedes she got a few more miles out of the tank, just not enough to justify paying over $50 instead of $40.

“So is it worth it? I think it depends on the type of car you have and how much traveling you do. Will I do it again? Nah,” she concludes. 

Is Ethanol Free Gas Worth It?

The three types of gasoline available at most pumps are E10, E15, or ethanol free. E10, the most standard version, contains 10% ethanol. E15 was recently introduced and allows for blends to have up to 15% ethanol. Ethanol free is to be considered the purest form of gasoline.

Ethanol is added to gasoline to help reduce emission, the US Department of Energy reports. By blending gasoline with ethanol, emission is reportedly reduced by 40%.

Ethanol free gas can give drivers better mileage, better storage, and less corrosion, Erie Insurance writes. Certain engines benefit better from ethanol free gas such as older engines, marine engines, leaf blowers, chainsaws, lawnmowers and more. Classic cars and boat engines run best with ethanol free.

Most modern cars are designed to take an ethanol blend. The rule of thumb for whether to use ethanol or not is any car built after 2011 is designed to handle ethanol. Anything built before 2011 may be damaged by ethanol-blended gas.

Do You Get More Miles From Ethanol Free Gas?

Some viewers weren’t surprised by Krysisha’s findings.

“It makes no difference,” one wrote.

“Car will run better, that's what I noticed when I tried it, but it lasts the same,” another agreed.

“You might see marginal improvement in your mpg, like less than 5% improvement. It won't be worth the additional cost, trust me as I've done this ‘experiment’ in the past,” a third shared. 

One suggested the parameters of the experiment need to be adjusted to provide more accurate data.

“You gotta get a little more precise with this. Your current mileage is 43,760, when you fill up again, you’ll be around 44,110, a difference of 350 miles. Divide that by how many gallons you put in the next time. 350/11.6=30.172 MPG. But it’s gonna take a few times of doing it to get the true number.” one added.

Other viewers offered explanations about how ethanol impacts gas mileage and suggested that ethanol can benefit newer vehicles.

“As someone that works in the industry, you’re only going to see a marginal difference since it will contain ethanol from being blended to meet specs prior to being piped to whatever distributor servicing your station. It’s never going to be ethanol free, it's just not being put in by the distributor,” one commented.

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“On average you'll see at most a 4% reduction in mileage with E10. E15 will land around 5-6%. It's not a huge difference, and contrary to popular belief, E10 is actually better for your vehicles if they are a 2001 or newer. It helps stabilize octane, cleans your fuel system, and is a bit cheaper,” another added.

Motor1 has contacted Krysisha via TikTok direct message and commented on the post. This post will be updated if she replies.

 

 

 

 

 

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