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The ethanol industry is a young industry with great potential. In the future the techniques used in ethanol production
and the vehicles able to run on it will be very different. Europe and the US are great examples of countries who have
adopted this new fuel technology, with Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) - able to run on any blend from E10 to E85* - already
available for at least five years.
All Holden large passenger cars are enabled with E10 Ethanol fuel capability.
This means that these vehicles can use fuel blended with up to 10% ethanol.
GM is the leader in FFVs, with over 3 million FlexFuel vehicles on the road in the US (GM FlexFuel vehicles can run on E85* ethanol, petrol, or any mix in between).
E85* ethanol, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol, is a mostly renewable fuel that can be made from several plants, such as switchgrass and willow. For example, Australian ethanol production is currently derived from the by-products of sugar and wheat processing.
E85* ethanol provides important reductions in CO2 emissions. E85* ethanol made from cellulose can reduce emissions by around 70% compared to petrol.
Experts estimate that, in certain conditions ('greenhouse-friendly' production and powering a flexible fuel vehicle), replacing petrol with E85* may reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%.
E85* has a higher octane rating than petrol, which allows for more power and torque.
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Global ethanol fuel sales are growing faster than petrol sales. Governments around the world are encouraging the production and consumption of ethanol fuel, and motorists are taking up the option for a variety of reasons including, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to counter climate change, to strengthen national energy security and to promote better community health
*E85 is not yet widely available in New Zealand