Green Giants
|
Green Giants - Bio-ethanol
|
28 March 2006 |
What's available? There's a wider choice of alternatively fuelled vehicles than ever before; and 2006 is predicted to offer even more options. The hybrid Lexus GS450h hits the road later this year, and 2008 will see Porsche wade into battle with a hybrid Cayenne and an all-new 928. Bio-ethanol The main player in the green world of bio-ethanol is Saab, with its 9-5 BioPower. It accounts for 80 per cent of all 9-5 sales in its native Sweden and is paving the way for the Scandinavian country to remove its dependence on oil by 2030. It's the only bio-ethanol car that we've driven so far, but we can report that the only difference from the petrol version is the BioPower has far more urge. This is due to ethanol's higher octane rating. There are no knobs, dials or buttons to worry about. You fill the tank with ethanol or petrol in exactly the same way as you would a petrol-powered car and off you go. It only costs an extra £600 too - about the same price as metallic paint. Saab says that it's their expertise in turbocharging that makes their 9-5 better than the opposition. It was the first manufacturer to put turbochargers in mass produced cars, remember. Running on ethanol shaves almost a second off the 0-60mph time and its 150mph top speed means its 10mph quicker than the petrol version. The combined mpg is identical at 42.8 - but bio-ethanol is cheaper. Like other flexi-fuel vehicles, the 9-5 will run on petrol or bio-ethanol in any mixture, so if you can't find a filling point, you won't get stranded. Obviously, you'll lose the benefits of the extra power and reduced emissions that ethanol brings. Although Saab has a head start of most other car makers, Ford isn't letting them have it all their own way. Its Focus FFV (Flexi Fuel Vehicle) costs £14,095 - almost £7,000 less than the Saab. Performance is identical to the 1.8 petrol equivalent, and fuel consumption is more or less the same. We'll give you the full lowdown when we get our hands on one. Renault is about to throw its hat into the ring with its Clio Hi-Flex. Built for the Brazilian market (where bio-ethanol is a major fuel source, due to the abundance of sugar beet; the crop used to create it), it is part of Renault's commitment for 50 per cent of all its petrol models to be ethanol compatible by 2009. In Brazil, it costs the equivalent of £7,165, making it huge value for money. Click for more information: |
|
Page 1
