Flex-fuel cars

Flex-fuel is becoming more common, although many people who own them are not even aware of it. Flex-fuel vehicles, or FFVs, are capable of running on gasoline and a substance called E85 – a blend of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline.

Are flex-fuel vehicles a new thing?

The idea of flex-fuel is nothing new, in fact the father of modern cars Henry Ford, designed his Model T to use ethyl alcohol alone. The vast majority of current vehicles will happily drive with fuel that contains 20 per cent ethanol.

Are there many flex-fuel vehicles on the road?

Yes. Throughout the world, there are millions of flex-fuel vehicles on the road. Many of their owners are not even aware of it, but their vehicle may have a flex-fuel capability. Hundreds of thousands of flex-fuel vehicles are in production, and in the future flex-fuel cars are likely to be clearly labeled.

What exactly is a flex-fuel car?

Flex-fuel vehicles are able to run on a mix of gasoline and E85 (ethanol and gasoline).

How is flex-fuel manufactured?

Ethanol can be produced by a wide variety of means, but using corn is apparently the most effective. Apparently, a large bushel of corn can be processed to make well over two gallons of ethanol, meaning the future of fuel production could be entirely domestic for those countries that can grow corn.

How does flex-fuel affect my car’s performance?

E85 actually has a higher octane rating than petrol, meaning greater horsepower and improved performance.

How does flex-fuel help the environment?

Flex-fuel contains more oxygen, meaning it burns more, and therefore leads to far less emissions. The EPA in America indicate that switching vehicles from gasoline to ethanol blends could slash the carbon monoxide levels throughout the world by 40 per cent, with damaging greenhouse gas emissions declining by between 15 and 20 per cent.

Does flex-fuel have any potential set backs for the average motorist?

Ethanol has a lower energy content than petrol, meaning that fuel economy can be lower and annual fuel costs could be higher. How this changes in the future remains to be seen.

Is E85 widely available?

Not yet, the total number of stations dispensing flex fuel is miniscule. However, watch this space for expanding outlets.

What is happening with flex-fuel in the UK?

Saab has recently launched an entire range of flex-fuel cars in the UK. According to the Saab Biopower webpage there are 13 E85 fuel pumps in the UK, all of which are operated by Morrisons supermarkets.

The brand, Harvest BioEthanol, costs 2 pence less than unleaded petrol.