I'm averaging 39.6 mpg on my current tank of gas; first tank was 35.7 for the first, and 37.6 for the one previous to this. The difference? I've been off work this week and I am not in the constant stop and go traffic.

Also, does your gas contain ethanol? Gas in Hawaii contains 10% ethanol. At a local presentation by Toyota they said that even though it is stated otherwise in many places, gasoline with ethanol can cause reduced gas mileage. Per the Honolulu Star Bulletin, "As Ethanol is mixed with gasoline, the energy per gallon of the mixed fuel drops, being diluted with the less energetic ethanol. Obviously, this is less energy than is in the gasoline itself, and as a result, the mileage will therefore drop." Maybe this is one reason TCH mileage is different throughout the country. Or does every state require ethanol to be added?

 

Due to ground water contamination the state of Connecticut has banned the use of MTBE and now all CT gas stations use ethanol formulations of up to 10% by volume. I don't have my TCH yet, but I guess we'll see how it does with the ethanol fuel here.

 

The gas I got contains 10% ethanol. Does anyone know if the 10% enthanol is standard in Virginia?

 

I'm in southeastern VA and we have 10% ethanol. I think it's standard everywhere now.

 

GreenHawaii-

I'd imagine that the ethanol in Hawaii is sugar-based like the stuff they use in South America due to the abundant sugar cane crops you guys have over there; it is more energy efficient than the corn based ethanol we get on the mainland.

But the VA guys are confusing me. Are you all talking about E10 fuel or is there ethanol in your regular gas too?

 

One and the same are they not...

 

If I'm not mistaken (occassionally happens, but not too often) E10 is 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol.

 

Maybe I'm mistaken, but as of April or May doesn't all the gas have some ethanol in it now. They had to stop using some of the other additives and had to use Ethanol. If I rememebr that is why we had one of the gas spikes back then, Ethanol was more expensive than the other additives.

 

I think we're saying the same thing. What we call gas is now E10 everywhere. The reason it's more expensive is that ethanol is water soluble. Because of this it can't be mixed at the refinery and piped from there. The gas is piped and then the ethanol has to be mixed in locally.

 

Answers! Glorious answers!

Thanks for the clarification .