<Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="4"> Comparison of key characteristics between the ethanol industries in the United States and Brazil </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Characteristic </Td> <Td> Brazil </Td> <Td> U.S. </Td> <Td> Units / comments </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Main feedstock </Td> <Td> Sugar cane </Td> <Td> Corn </Td> <Td> Main cash crop for ethanol production, the US has less than 2% from other crops . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total ethanol fuel production (2011) </Td> <Td> 5,573 </Td> <Td> 13,900 </Td> <Td> Million U.S. liquid gallons </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total arable land </Td> <Td> 355 </Td> <Td> 270 </Td> <Td> Million hectares . Only contiguous U.S., excludes Alaska . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total area used for ethanol crop (2006) </Td> <Td> 3.6 (1%) </Td> <Td> 10 (3.7%) </Td> <Td> Million hectares (% total arable) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Productivity </Td> <Td> 6,800--8,000 </Td> <Td> 3,800--4,000 </Td> <Td> Ethanol yield (liter / hectare). Brazil is 727 to 870 gal / acre (2006), US is 321 to 424 gal / acre (2003--05) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Energy balance (input energy productivity) </Td> <Td> 8.3 to 10.2 </Td> <Td> 1.3 to 1.6 </Td> <Td> Ratio of the energy obtained from ethanol / energy expended in its production </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Estimated greenhouse gas emission reduction </Td> <Td> 86--90% </Td> <Td> 10--30% </Td> <Td>% GHGs avoided by using ethanol instead of gasoline, using existing crop land, without ILUC effects . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> EPA's estimated 2022 GHG reduction for RFS2 . </Td> <Td> 61% </Td> <Td> 21% </Td> <Td> Average% GHGs change as compared to gasoline and considering direct and indirect land use change effects . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> CARB's full life - cycle carbon intensity </Td> <Td> 73.40 </Td> <Td> 105.10 </Td> <Td> Grams of CO equivalent released per MJ of energy produced, includes indirect land use changes . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Estimated payback time for greenhouse gas emission </Td> <Td> 17 years </Td> <Td> 93 years </Td> <Td> Brazilian cerrado for sugar cane and US grassland for corn . Land use change scenarios by Fargione et al . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Flexible - fuel vehicles produced / sold (includes autos, light trucks and motorcycles) </Td> <Td> 16.3 million </Td> <Td> 10 million </Td> <Td> All fleets as of December 2011 . The Brazilian fleet includes 1.5 million flex fuel motorcycles . USDOE estimates that in 2009 only 504,297 flex - fuel vehicles were regularly fueled with E85 in the US . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ethanol fueling stations in the country </Td> <Td> 35,017 (100%) </Td> <Td> 2,749 (1.6%) </Td> <Td> As% of total gas stations in the country . Brazil by December 2007, U.S. by May 2011 . (170,000 total .) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ethanol's share within the gasoline market </Td> <Td> 50% </Td> <Td> 10% </Td> <Td> As% of total consumption on a volumetric basis . Brazil as of April 2008 . U.S. as of December 2010 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cost of production (USD / US gallon) </Td> <Td> 0.83 </Td> <Td> 1.14 </Td> <Td> 2006 / 2007 for Brazil (22 ¢ / liter), 2004 for U.S. (35 ¢ / liter) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Notes: (1) Assuming no land use change . (2) Estimate is for U.S. consumption and sugarcane ethanol is imported from Brazil . Emissions from sea transport are included . Both estimates include land transport within the U.S. (3) CARB estimate for Midwest corn ethanol . California's gasoline carbon intensity is 95.86 blended with 10% ethanol. (4) Assuming direct land use change . (5) If diesel - powered vehicles are included and due to ethanol's lower energy content by volume, bioethanol represented 16.9% of the road sector energy consumption in 2007 . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="4"> Comparison of key characteristics between the ethanol industries in the United States and Brazil </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Characteristic </Td> <Td> Brazil </Td> <Td> U.S. </Td> <Td> Units / comments </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Main feedstock </Td> <Td> Sugar cane </Td> <Td> Corn </Td> <Td> Main cash crop for ethanol production, the US has less than 2% from other crops . </Td> </Tr>

In the united states bioethanol from corn is added to gasoline for vehicle fuel because