Ethanol mix fares poorly in test

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A new cost-benefit analysis of alternative fuels indicates the ethanol blend E85 fares poorly, the U.S. project's chief researcher says.

Researcher John Graham at the Pardee Rand Graduate School was slated to discuss the study Friday at a National Academy of Sciences round-table in Washington.

Compared to gasoline, he figures, a driver could spend as much as $1,600 more on fuel over a vehicle's life burning E85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

. The study undercuts E85 at a time Detroit automakers are lobbying Congress for ethanol-supportive legislation and fuel-economy credits for building E85-compatible vehicles.

General Motors and Ford, both pro-ethanol, are among companies that support the Rand school. "They aren't crazy about the results," Graham told USA Today.