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The price of gasoline is out of control, and even if a conservative administration sets up shop in 2024, I don't see things going back to any semblance of normal. Propane is also gone pretty nuts, and thus isn't a viable (cost-efficient) gasoline alternative. And while diesel should be okay, I think we can write that one off as well.

Electric vehicle are a dumb idea for all kinds of reasons. We don't need to go in to that. Maybe having an electric bicycle around would be good, but certainly not a full sized vehicle.

Some people have proposed using ammonium as a fuel, and while it shows promise, I think the tech to make it practical and not super dangerous is still a little ways off - certainly for mass-production.

Which leads me to ethanol. Right now a gallon of ethanol is about $2.16 a gallon (or so my internet sleuthing tells me). And while alcohol as a vehicle fuel doesn't deliver near the same power as gasoline, I think this current price difference would make up for it. (Here in kommiefornia we're paying above $7 a gallon for gas). Am I wrong here? Let me know.

Ethanol isn't hard to find, and I don't think the world markets can manipulate the cost of this too easily without fouling up a whole lot of other things unrelated to transportation, so I'm guessing (again, maybe wrong) the price should stay pretty low.

And, ethanol can be produced at home. Sure, you need a pretty big amount of plant matter to make it, but you still can. By the gods, this is America, and we can grow corn.

So if I'm correct so far, that leads to the primary question I asked: What is the BEST vehicle to buy and convert to alcohol? There are, of course, some qualifications to this:

1) The vehicle needs to have a relatively simple engine, what an average person can do the conversion on as well as maintain.

2) The vehicle has to have been produced in numbers such that spare parts are pretty easy to get.

3) The vehicle should be somewhat multi-purpose. Like maybe a small pickup truck would be good?

4) The vehicle should be not too expensive. This would be an alternate vehicle for most people, something to be used in the case of societal collapse. Let's face it: Most of us are not spending $70,000 on a survival vehicle. (I mean, some of us are, but c'mon - most of us are not.)

Keep in mind that running an engine on alcohol can be more corrosive to the engine that gasoline.

A buddy of mine suggested a Willys jeep as they're apparently already set up to run on alcohol. But as I understand it, they're rare an expensive now. (Anyone know different?)

So given all of this, what vehicle should we all buy to convert to alcohol - assuming this idea is even worth considering. And if it's not an idea worth considering, what should we look at as an alternative to gasoline? Because this is getting stupid and I think it's all going to fall apart.

The price of gasoline is out of control, and even if a conservative administration sets up shop in 2024, I don't see things going back to any semblance of normal. Propane is also gone pretty nuts, and thus isn't a viable (cost-efficient) gasoline alternative. And while diesel should be okay, I think we can write that one off as well. Electric vehicle are a dumb idea for all kinds of reasons. We don't need to go in to that. Maybe having an electric bicycle around would be good, but certainly not a full sized vehicle. Some people have proposed using ammonium as a fuel, and while it shows promise, I think the tech to make it practical and not super dangerous is still a little ways off - certainly for mass-production. Which leads me to ethanol. Right now a gallon of ethanol is about $2.16 a gallon (or so my internet sleuthing tells me). And while alcohol as a vehicle fuel doesn't deliver near the same power as gasoline, I think this current price difference would make up for it. (Here in kommiefornia we're paying above $7 a gallon for gas). Am I wrong here? Let me know. Ethanol isn't hard to find, and I don't think the world markets can manipulate the cost of this too easily without fouling up a whole lot of other things unrelated to transportation, so I'm guessing (again, maybe wrong) the price should stay pretty low. And, ethanol can be produced at home. Sure, you need a pretty big amount of plant matter to make it, but you still can. By the gods, this is America, and we can grow corn. So if I'm correct so far, that leads to the primary question I asked: What is the BEST vehicle to buy and convert to alcohol? There are, of course, some qualifications to this: 1) The vehicle needs to have a relatively simple engine, what an average person can do the conversion on as well as maintain. 2) The vehicle has to have been produced in numbers such that spare parts are pretty easy to get. 3) The vehicle should be somewhat multi-purpose. Like maybe a small pickup truck would be good? 4) The vehicle should be not too expensive. This would be an alternate vehicle for most people, something to be used in the case of societal collapse. Let's face it: Most of us are not spending $70,000 on a survival vehicle. (I mean, some of us are, but c'mon - most of us are not.) Keep in mind that running an engine on alcohol can be more corrosive to the engine that gasoline. A buddy of mine suggested a Willys jeep as they're apparently already set up to run on alcohol. But as I understand it, they're rare an expensive now. (Anyone know different?) So given all of this, what vehicle should we all buy to convert to alcohol - assuming this idea is even worth considering. And if it's not an idea worth considering, what should we look at as an alternative to gasoline? Because this is getting stupid and I think it's all going to fall apart.

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First, ethanol will require twice the volume to produce the same power. As long as the price differential is favorable it's worth a try as long as you can always be sure of having a supply when you travel (however far that is). Carbs need bigger jets to pass the increased volume of alcohol needed for the mixture. vaporization is poor in cool weather so very hard to start. Next, consider what happens to alcohol prices/availability when food starts getting scarce due to fertilizer etc. Fuel production will be the first thing cut to produce food. Finally, wood gasifiers are a huge PITA to use. They were used some in Europe during the war years but one would have to be pretty desperate to go to the trouble. If you believe the system will remain intact enough that you will be able to buy bulk fuel and want something cheaper than gasoline, you might do the math on an E85 vehicle. You might be able to mix you own cheaper than buying at the pump, especially if the ethanol is untaxed. I'm not sure the price differential is enough to make up for the reduced energy content so quite literally YMMV.