Frequently asked questions

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General

Why should I choose an ethanol car instead of a traditional petrol car?

There are several reasons, depending on your values and priorities. Ethanol cars combine economy, environmental commitment, and tried-and-tested technology. We are already seeing that more and more private individuals, companies, and public organizations have genuinely decided to lower their carbon-dioxide emissions and contribute to a road-vehicle sector that is more sustainable in the long term.

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What are the environmental advantages of an ethanol car when you run it on bioethanol?

The most important reason for driving on bioethanol is that you greatly reduce emissions of fossil carbon dioxide, which is a threat to the earth's climate system. The so-called greenhouse effect or the threat of undesirable climate change is currently considered one of the biggest threats to life on earth.

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Can increased use of biofuels also be important to reducing our ever-greater dependence on oil from the Middle East?

Reducing our unilateral dependence on oil from a small number of net-exporting oil countries is one of the main reasons why, with the aid of legislation and various benefits, both the USA and the EU are trying to dramatically increase use of biofuels, especially in the transport sector. The transport sector already uses about 70% of all oil consumed in the USA and the EU ? a proportion that is still on the increase.

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Are fuel cells and hybrids the solution?

Fuel cells and hybrids are good examples of technology that makes vehicles more energy-efficient. But these energy-efficient engines also need energy and an increasing proportion of that energy also has to be renewable. Ethanol can easily replace petrol/diesel in hybrid engines. Ethanol is also an excellent carrier of hydrogen; by introducing ethanol through flexifuel cars, such as FlexiFuel and BioPower, we can speed up the development of a network of ethanol filling stations. We will thus also speed up the introduction of energy-efficient fuel cell-powered cars with hydrogen from renewable resources ? something all vehicle manufacturers see as a necessity in the long term.

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If carbon-dioxide emissions can now be reduced through use of bioethanol, is there a risk of increasing other emissions that are injurious to health?

Other emissions that are injurious to health, such as nitrogen oxides, particles, and hydrocarbons, are also lowered when you run a car on bioethanol. Modern petrol cars, however, are already so clean that these improvements are of marginal importance although, compared with diesel cars, the improvements are manifest. The only measurable emission that increases with alcohols is aldehydes. With current catalysers, however, the level is so low that this is not deemed significant.

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Why have Saab, Volvo, and Ford introduced flexifuel ethanol cars in Sweden?

Sweden is one of Europe's leaders as far as bioethanol is concerned. Some countries will be adopting a leading industrial and environmental position in the development of complete systems of renewable fuels. The vehicle manufacturers assess that a strong presence on the Swedish market in this area is of particular interest, as environmental awareness is very high and there are long-term political and industrial intentions to develop Sweden into a leading industrial country and an international environmental model in this particular field.

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Economy

How much more does an ethanol car cost than an equivalent petrol or diesel car?

An ethanol car costs about SEK 6,000 to SEK 8,000 more. Most other types of environmentally friendly cars cost far more to buy than an equivalent petrol car, but ethanol cars only cost a little more to buy than equivalent petrol cars.

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How does the fuel consumption of an ethanol car compare with that of a traditional petrol car?

With petrol operation, the fuel consumption is exactly the same as for a traditional petrol car. With ethanol operation, the fuel consumption per km is higher because ethanol contains less energy than petrol. E85's energy content is about 70% that of petrol, and bioethanol's lower retail price compensates for the increased fuel consumption of about 20-35%.

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Is the insurance premium the same for ethanol and petrol cars?

Insurance costs the same or less, depending on insurance company.

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Is servicing of an ethanol car more expensive?

Servicing costs a little more because the vehicle manufacturers prescribe an extra oil and filter change every 10,000 or 15,000 km.

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Is it correct that the state stimulates the market for ethanol cars by reducing the benefit tax?

Yes, the benefit value is reduced by 20% in terms of reduced net tax; a tax discount equivalent to choosing a car costing about SEK 50,000 less. The very low benefit value also means 20% lower social insurance costs for companies.

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Is it true that you receive SEK 10,000 from the state if you buy an ethanol car?

Yes.

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How do you calculate mileage allowances, fuel tax, etc. using two fuel options?

The same regulations apply to flexifuel ethanol cars as apply to normal petrol cars.

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It is asserted that many municipalities are undertaking local initiatives to stimulate use of environmentally friendly cars. Is this correct?

Free parking is available for environmentally friendly cars in a large number of municipalities, and this will be spreading to even more municipalities and towns.

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Do the financial advantages apply even if you only use petrol?

Yes, the reduction in benefit value, the insurance premium, free parking, and the SEK 10,000 allowance for environmentally friendly cars apply regardless of which fuel you use (apart from in Gothenburg, where the fuel you're using is checked through receipt requests at random checks).

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What are the comparative second-hand values of ethanol cars and ones that can only run on petrol?

It's impossible to say. But because ethanol cars are basically petrol cars and can always be used as such and because they can also run on bioethanol and feature a number of obvious added values in addition to those of the standard model, we have good reason to believe that the second-hand value will also be higher. If we factor in the way society's attitudes are rapidly changing in favour of environmentally friendly products and vehicles, this also supports a higher second-hand value in future. On the property market, for example, detached houses with several combi-solutions are more attractive than ones limited to a single energy alternative.

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How does the technology work?

Do ethanol cars have two different tanks?

No, they have one tank for petrol and E85 fuel. The two fuels can be mixed in any way. A computer detects the current fuel mix and adapts the engine accordingly. When changing fuel, the engine needs a little 'thinking time' to detect the current fuel mix before adjusting the setting.

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Will the engine be damaged if you always use different mixes in the tank?

No, the engine is adapted for use with any combination of ethanol and petrol.

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Do you need to think about anything special when filling up with E85?

In the winter, the built-in engine heater should be used at temperatures below +5 ºC if the tank contains E85 alone. A higher proportion of petrol improves the cold-start properties, but it is a good idea to use the engine heater at temperatures below +10 ºC so as to radically reduce emissions when driving with a cold engine. This applies to all cars ? both petrol and diesel.

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Do ethanol cars really start when it is cold outside?

Since winter 2006-07, a winter grade of ethanol is being introduced during the months Nov-March (75% ethanol plus 25% petrol). The result for motorists will be more reliable cold starting, and you won't need to worry about trips into the mountains.

To guarantee starting at temperatures below -15ºC, current ethanol cars require an engine heater or a higher proportion of petrol in the fuel.

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Performance and fuel consumption

Does the performance of ethanol cars vary with different fuels?

Running the engine on bioethanol E85 leads to better performance than using petrol. The engine power of Saab cars increases by about 20%, i.e., about 30 PS, as ethanol has a higher-octane count. In Ford and Volvo cars, the power increases by several percent.

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Do ethanol car engines use more energy than ordinary petrol engines?

No, energy consumption is the same when running either engine on E85 or petrol.

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Why do ethanol cars use more fuel when running on ethanol than when running on petrol?

Bioethanol has a lower energy content than petrol. This means that cars running on E85 fuel have an approximately 20-35% higher consumption than when running on petrol alone. The lower price of E85 compensates for this.

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Is the increased consumption greater when driving hard on ethanol than when driving hard on petrol?

No, the percentage increase remains the same, but the difference increases in absolute terms.

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Ethanol production and the environment

What is E85?

E85 consists of 85% ethanol and 15% 95-octane lead-free petrol.

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How is ethanol currently produced?

Bioethanol is a bioalcohol produced from natural resources such as sugar cane, grain, or maize.

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What are the plans for future production of ethanol?

In the short term, there will be huge grain surpluses in the international agricultural world. However, in the slightly longer term, sugar cane will be the predominant raw material in the tropical countries, and the temperate climate zones will increasingly be shifting to manufacture of ethanol from raw materials rich in cellulose.

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Where will cellulose come from in future?

Forestry cellulose primarily comes from residual products such as branches and treetops, wood produced by thinning, etc. From cultivated agricultural areas we will collect cellulose from surplus material such as stalks and leaves and surplus agricultural areas, which will also be usable as energy-producing forest instead of becoming overgrown and thus destroying valuable land for future cultivation. Household waste contains large amounts of cellulose ? a raw material for bioethanol that will be of increasing interest.

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What is the current cost of bioethanol production?

Brazil, which is currently the world's largest ethanol producer and which has been producing ethanol the longest, produces ethanol for about SEK 2 per litre, compared with petrol and diesel, which at the current raw oil price are produced for about SEK 2 per litre. In Europe and the USA, bioethanol is currently produced from maize and grain for SEK 3-5 per litre.

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What are the estimated future production costs?

Experts and authorities in the EU and the USA are reckoning on producing ethanol from cellulose-rich raw materials for SEK 2-4 per litre, depending on technological developments, future costs of raw materials, and effects of scale as a result of volume developments. In the event of a breakthrough for cellulose technology, a further reduction in the cost of producing ethanol from sugar cane is also anticipated.

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Does ethanol combustion also create carbon dioxide emissions?

With regard to the effect on the climate, the carbon dioxide's provenance is a crucial factor, i.e., whether it comes from 'dead' or 'living' carbon. Both of the latter are stored solar energy, but the 'dead' carbon (oil, coal, and natural gas) has been locked in (fossil-fixed) under the earth's crust for 200 million years. Its release into the atmosphere results in an imbalance that affects climate. We get biofuels such as ethanol and biogas from the 'living' carbon that comes from the plants surrounding us today and that forms part of the carbon cycle, i.e., nature's way of moving carbon around to facilitate life on earth. Photosynthesis in plants breaks the carbon dioxide down into carbohydrates, which build up the plants, and oxygen, which is emitted into the air. When the plant dies or is burnt, the carbon returns into the air and is then absorbed by other plants.

The 'dead' carbon in the form of oil (petrol and diesel), carbon, or natural gas comes from plants that existed millions of years ago. The carbon they absorbed is now released when these fossil fuels are used. There are no extra plants that can absorb this carbon. This means a raised carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere and an increased greenhouse effect.

Brazil ? now the world's biggest ethanol producer ? produces ethanol with a 90-95% net saving of fossil carbon dioxide. A report from Chalmers University of Technology (Magnus Blinge) shows that current ethanol production in Örnsköldsvik uses 2% fossil energy, which means a 98% net reduction in fossil carbon dioxide.

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How much fossil CO2 is released per km when driving on E85?

If we assume E85 consumption of 0.1 litres per km, this means about 40 g fossil C02/km. This figure includes the petrol component plus manufacture and distribution of E85.

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Some people say you need a lot of fossil energy to produce ethanol ? is this true?

No, it isn't. In the 50s and 60s, there were production plants in the USA with a really poor energy exchange. Such plants no longer exist. Some people assert that you have to put more energy into the ethanol than you get out of it. That's not the way it works. Ethanol is currently produced on commercial terms. There are no subsidies. For example, if you sell ethanol at SEK 5/litre, then that amount must cover costs for raw materials and energy, capital costs, any profit, etc. So everyone understands that very little energy must be put into the process and that it has to be as cheap as possible.

In future large-scale ethanol production from cellulose, Swedish researchers are reckoning on energy efficiency of 75% to 85%. This is because ethanol is just one of several products obtained from cellulose as a raw material. Lignin is another product used in thermal power stations. The manufacturing process can be compared with an oil refinery: raw oil goes in and many different products come out. The same thing happens with the cellulose process: forestry raw materials go in and a number of different products come out.

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Isn't it better to use forestry products to make timber and paper than to make ethanol?

We will be doing both. We have and have had an annual surplus of forestry raw materials in Sweden for many years. With the aid of current knowledge from the results of research and future knowledge from the research that is constantly in progress, we can increase the amount of forestry raw materials by about 30% p.a. over the coming years. This will give us an opportunity to manufacture a large volume of renewable fuels in Sweden.

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Should one not use all the ethanol in low proportions (5-10%) in normal petrol cars instead of building up a new system for E85?

In Sweden, there is already 5% E85 in all 95-octane petrol, and this is an effective way of quickly getting large amounts of bioethanol onto the market. Together with other incentives, this in turn means that more people are having the courage to invest in ethanol production. The disadvantage is that using low blends do not promote the development of the technology. If the target is to achieve 100% renewable fuel, then there must be parallel development whereby we invest in solutions to achievement of the 100% target.

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Is there sufficient biomass in the world for production of the renewable energy we need?

Probably not. We need to do many things at the same time, e.g., invest more in expansion of public transport and build smarter societies as far as traffic is concerned. But the most important thing is that we have to produce far more energy-efficient vehicles. In future, we have to have vehicles that will not consume over 0.03 litres/km, e.g., plug-in hybrids largely powered by electricity.

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Is it better to put our biomass into oil-fired thermal power stations on the continent, thus more efficiently decreasing CO2 emissions?

Purely theoretically, that's true. But since we know that oil is a finite resource and that it will soon be in short supply, we cannot unilaterally invest all our biomass in one field. We must develop various new technologies to allow us to use biomass as a basis for developing new biofuels. Such development is slow and takes place in various stages. We thus have to start right now so as to be able to offer the optimum solutions in future.

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Are emissions other than carbon dioxide also reduced when you use ethanol?

Current petrol cars with catalysers are already very clean, but flexifuel cars run on ethanol further reduce other emissions and have good margins regarding the requirements for EU 2005.

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Why are a number of car manufacturers investing in gas operation?

Several car manufacturers are testing car models intended for gas operation. A gas car can be run on both biogas and natural gas. Biogas is a renewable fuel, and natural gas is fossil in origin. Saab, Volvo, and Ford in Sweden are mainly investing in renewable fuels, and we assess that ethanol currently has the greatest potential of all, as the cost for the user is far lower. The volume potential for bioethanol is also far greater than for biogas.

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If ethanol operation is so good, why aren't other manufacturers offering cars that can run on bioethanol?

In Brazil, most car manufacturers offer flexifuel cars, and in the USA Ford, GM and Chrysler have sold about 4 million flexifuel cars. Ford was the first to launch flexifuel technology in Europe. In 2007, a large number of car manufacturers are bringing out flexifuel models in Sweden.

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Using and filling up on ethanol

Does the price of E85 follow that of petrol?

Only 15% (proportion of petrol in the mix) of the price of E85 is affected by the major price variations for raw oil. It has been relatively stable for several years. It is the petrol companies who set the end price at the E85 pump.

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Where can you fill up on E85?

E85 pumps are currently well disseminated all over Sweden. There are at present 900 filling stations, of which OK/Q8 has the most, with Statoil in second place. In 2006, the number of filling stations increased from 311 to about 650. It is estimated there will be about 2,600 E85 pumps by 2009.

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Is ethanol more flammable than petrol?

Both ethanol and petrol are flammable liquids and must be handled with care. Ethanol has a higher ignition temperature and does not burn as explosively as petrol. Pure ethanol does not give off soot upon combustion, thus creating an invisible flame.

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Servicing and guarantees

Do ethanol cars have the same servicing frequencies and guarantees as ordinary cars?

Yes, although the vehicle manufacturers stipulate an extra oil change (oil + filter) every 10,000 or 15,000 km.

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Why is an extra oil change needed every 10,000/15,000 km?

For reasons of caution, vehicle manufacturers stipulate an extra oil change. Gradually the recommended servicing frequency will probably become aligned with that for petrol cars.

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Does the guarantee cease if the extra oil change is not carried out?

Yes, the guarantee presupposes adherence to the servicing frequency.

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If you can only drive on petrol, is the extra oil change still necessary?

Yes, as the vehicle manufacturers are unable to monitor the use of individual cars.

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Can you run ethanol cars on methanol?

No, methanol is a more corrosive alcohol than ethanol, thus necessitating extensive modification of the engine and fuel system. Methanol also has a lower energy content ? 36% less than ethanol ? which means ignition and injection also need adjusting.

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Do ethanol cars have a normal catalyser?

Yes, the catalyser is identical to that of the equivalent petrol version.

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How much is the engine of an ethanol car modified?

The surfaces inside the engine that come into contact with the fuel are reinforced. The fuel system is also modified and engine control has also been developed to offer full flexibility. The fuel tank is also adapted to ethanol.

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Misleading myths

Isn't it better to eat what we grow than to make ethanol out of it?

In Sweden, we only need 20% of the cultivatable land to meet our food needs. The rest can be used to grow energy crops, which can in turn be converted into fuel. From a global perspective, it is quite correct that we must first satisfy people's food requirements. But it is not a lack of food that is causing famine. The technology of extracting ethanol from cellulose reduces competition with food, as we can to a much greater extent use forestry raw materials and residual products from agriculture and other areas to make ethanol.

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Isn't it better for us to use methanol than ethanol?

Nowhere in the world is the vehicle industry currently interested in manufacturing methanol-powered vehicles. Neither are any fuel suppliers interested in selling and distributing methanol. Ford manufactured and sold a methanol version of the Ford Taurus in the early 90s. Because the experiences from the experiments were not good, Ford chose to switch over to ethanol as a fuel instead of methanol, partly for cost reasons.

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Isn't it better to drive diesel cars as they consume 30% less?

Hardly. Fossil diesel can never be environmentally friendly!
Diesel releases fossil carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change.
Exhaust gases from diesel engines also have a higher content of nitrogen oxides and particles than exhaust from petrol and ethanol engines. Diesel is thus more harmful to both health and the environment. The health effects include diseases of the respiratory tract and cardiovascular diseases.

The reason why many people are currently advocating small, economic diesel cars as being environmentally friendly is that diesel engines are more energy-efficient that petrol engines ? i.e., they use less fuel and thus create lower emissions of climate-affecting carbon dioxide than petrol engines. But the problem with this line of argument is that the carbon dioxide that is admittedly released is still fossil and contributes directly to the all to rapidly accelerating climate change. A fossil fuel cannot be classified as being environmentally friendly however economic the car it powers. With a flexifuel ethanol car and the E85 available in Sweden, you can reduce CO2 emissions by about 70-80%. In this calculation, we have also taken into account the petrol proportion of the fuel, which varies from 15% to 25%.

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Is the Brazilian rainforest being ravaged to produce ethanol?

In Brazil ethanol is made from sugar cane. The threat to the rainforest is very worrying, but it has nothing to do with cultivation of sugar cane. Brazil is a very big country ? it takes five hours to fly from North to South. Cultivation of sugar cane takes place several thousand kilometres from the rainforest. Reports confirming this are available from Sweden's National Environmental Protection Board and the organisation for green motoring Gröna Bilister.

To meet environmental requirements and guarantee the quality of bioethanol, prominent Swedish, European, and Brazilian researchers in collaboration with the Brazilian government and the International Energy Agency and at the initiative of BAFF are to set up specifications of requirements, criteria, and regulations regarding ethanol production.

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