Ethanol mix to hit 2 million Australian cars

Anyone who drives a car, rides a motorbike, or pilots a boat will want to know exactly what ethanol does to their vehicle's internals - particularly after recent figures suggest that 30 per cent of Australian vehicles will be adversely affected by the recommended 10% ethanol mix.

Research suggests that ethanol is a more ecologically friendly fuel than petrol, and there are many other arguments in support of ethanol, one of which is a reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

The USA and Sweden use ethanol blended fuels in some areas and Brazilian petroleum is mixed with up to a quarter (22-25%) ethanol.

At the same token, cars in Brazil need to be specially tuned or modified to accept such high levels of ethanol.

The ethanol that is blended with petrol in Australia, which now has a mandatory cap of 10 per cent, comes from agricultural sources (particularly grain) and new government legislation was put in place (a 38 cents a litre tariff) to stem the importation of cheap ethanol from Brazil.

While this may help companies like Manildra - Australia's largest producer of ethanol - unfortunately it's not all good news for motorists.

Ford Australia's Brand Communications Manager, Sinead McAlary said "Any [local] vehicles produced after 1998 will be okay with blends up to 10%."

That means that if you own an EF Series 2 Ford Falcon (1996 model), you may be putting your vehicle at risk by using ethanol blended fuels.

While Ford is confident that all of its Australian-built cars after 1998 (Falcons, Utes and so on) will work adequately with ethanol, it cannot make the same iron-clad guarantee for imported vehicles, many of which come from Europe.

Sinead McAlary indicated that Ford engineers are still conducting detailed testing into the effects of a 10% ethanol-fuel blend with some of its vehicles, and that Ford Australia strongly supports the labelling of blended fuels at petrol stations.

Jason Laird, the National Manager for Media Relations at Holden, Australia's largest automaker, states that "Holden's position is quite clear: an ethanol blend up to 10% is acceptable for our vehicles, but over 10% may void your [Holden] warranty. This is clearly stated in current vehicles' handbooks."

Mr. Laird said that all Holdens will tolerate a 10% ethanol mix, whether they be imported, locally-manufactured or even older models.

And, though the big car-makers in Australia have their respective company lines on ethanol and their effect on engines and related components, new figures have been leaked to the media indicating that many more vehicles may be at risk than first thought. Possibly up to 30 per cent.

According to the leak, up to 2 million vehicles manufactured before 1986, and a number of late-model vehicles and sports cars will not operate "satisfactorily" when consuming petrol with a 10% ethanol blend.

The recommendations were compiled by the Ethanol Working Group, which was set up by the Government.

It was initially tasked with advising the Government on the 10 per cent cap on ethanol and the compulsory labelling of fuel that would be necessary in the move towards a society using blended fuels.

It is alleged that the Ethanol Working Group came to the conclusion that there were so many models that would not operate satisfactorily with a 10 per cent ethanol mix, that such labelling and detailed information would be impractical to display at fuel stations.

As an alternative, the Ethanol Working Group is to believed to be recommending minimal pump labelling, with the suggestion that drivers should refer to their vehicle manufacturers.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries is one of the groups that is part of the Ethanol Working Group, and it's chief executive, Peter Sturrock, was displeased by the leak to the media.

He said that while there will be vehicles, particularly those built before 1986, that won't perform optimally with 10 per cent ethanol, it will be up to consumers to find out if their vehicle is at risk: "Most new vehicles and many older vehicles will run quite safely on 10 per cent ethanol, however we strongly urge motorists to check with their vehicles' manufacturer in Australia," said Mr. Sturrock.

Ethanol has corrosive properties and some reports suggest the integrity of fuel lines can become compromised in older model vehicles. However, in America, General Motors has already developed a number of engines designed to run on an 85 per cent ethanol mix, showing that the renewable energy source can be supported.

If you are in any way unsure of whether or not your car can tolerate a 10% ethanol fuel blend, contact your vehicle manufacturer.

Ethanol Properties:

Appearance: colourless liquid
Specific gravity: 0.789
Vapour pressure: 1.59
Flash point: 56 F
Explosion limits: 3.3% - 24.5%
Melting point: -130 C
Boiling point: 78 C

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