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Re: Ethanol:

https://doomberg.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-corn-ethanol

"By creating and stoking a debate about corn ethanol as a fuel, your attention is diverted away from its primary role as an anti-knocking additive."

"Knocking occurs when gasoline burns unevenly inside an engine’s cylinders, resulting in unpleasant noises, reduced range, and accelerated engine degradation. The solution was to upgrade the octane rating of gasoline – a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an ICE without detonating – and a frantic search occurred for a suitable chemical additive that could solve the problem."

The alternatives to ethanol to solve knocking (and that have been used in the past) are basically pretty terrible.

1) TEL (Tetraethyl lead) - spread poisonous lead oxide particles from tailpipes of every vehicle (eventually banned)

2) MBTE (Methyl-tert-Butyl Ether) - dangerously toxic water pollutant that is water soluble (also banned)

Which leaves us with Ethanol.

"..blending modest concentrations of ethanol with gasoline not only solved knocking, but it also produced an outstanding motor fuel by the technical measures that mattered."

The more you know.....

Bill

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"Challengers like Rivian, meanwhile, have run into manufacturing bottlenecks due to chip shortages and supply chain disruptions."

>>🤔🤔 It seems that Rivian is falling further and further behind. Perhaps they should just look to partner with the existing ecosystem, before they become a relic.😬💀

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