Camry HybridDiscussion area for the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving Americas favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
They do accept regular fuel, if you are referring to 87 octane regular unleaded gasoline.
EDIT: Just re-read your question, sounds like you're asking why they can't use both regular or FlexFuel. Isn't FlexFuel GM's name for being able to run E85?
Maybe it is because I am from the South of Illinois. I thought the question was quite correct. Why can't TCH vehicles use regular brand gas and flex fuel E-85? Same difference? No answer?
E85 has roughly 43% less energy content than regular gasoline. It does have a higher octane rating and burns cleaner but suffers from being an oxygenated fuel. You will see some users running E85 in ford hybrids going from 32 to 34 mpg on gasoline to 23 to 25 mpg running E85.
Combine that with the lack of E85 pumps in many areas of the country and there is not much incentive for a hybrid driver to switch. The whole point of driving them (to me) is to reduce the fuel burned. Yes, alcohol burns cleaner but you must burn more of it, it takes a LOT of energy to produce and distribute (alcohol can not be delivered in normal pipelines).
I'm not convinced in the long run if this is ANY cleaner than regular gas. There are too many issues (including the US Gov. supporting it with tax dollars) that need to be solved before it becomes a viable long term solution. Switch gas (and other cellulose) alcohol production may help but it is still a few years away from production.
Last edited by GeorgiaHybrid; 04-29-2008 at 10:22 AM.
You don't save any money for using flex fuel when compared to regular e87 because you'll need many more fill ups. Toyota probably doesn't want their drivers to use flex fuel because it's bad for their image due to the lower mpg.
I live in Metropolis, Illinois which is in the southern most part of Illinois on the Ohio river across from Kentucky. We have at least 1 station here and I pass more on the way to work every day into Kentucky that sells E85. Metropolis is only 6,000 residents. There may be more stations than the one who sells the E85 here in town.
use more of the FLEX FUEL is right--my husband has new Tahoe with the variable transmission--and he has been getting good mpg on it but tried some flex fuel in it to see the difference--he is running through it so quick that there is NO price incentive--and I don't think the car drives as well starting from lights either...
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