If you’re concerned about the environment and really serious about slashing your carbon footprint, then 85 Ethanol (E85) could be the solution for your car. The environmentally friendly, renewable fuel ethanol is made here in Australia and there are currently over 13 million cars worldwide that have made the transformation to E85, predominantly in United States, Brazil and Sweden.
E85 is a blend of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, and although it is available at only a limited number of bowsers at the moment, this is set to change as Saab, Holden and others begin to roll out their E85 compatible cars. Holden have committed to becoming the first local manufacturer to offer engines capable of running with E85, with the 2010 Commodore slated as its first candidate.
Ethanol – Renewable Fuel
Ethanol is most commonly made from the bi-products of sugar and wheat production, and does not need to use food crops. In fact, the Victorian Government is part of a consortium, including Holden and Caltex, that plans to develop an ethanol plant in Victoria that can turn household and commercial waste into approximately 200 megalitres of ethanol per year.
Henry Ford designed the famed Model T Ford to run on alcohol saying that it was “the fuel of the future” and in fact ethanol was widely considered by the automotive industry at that time as the preferred fuel. Ethanol has a high oxygen content – around 35 per cent – and so burns cooler and cleaner in your engine. Converting your car to run on E85 reduces toxic exhaust emissions by up to 90 per cent. So for every 100 cars that drive on E85, it is the same as removing 90 cars from the road altogether.
Engine Safe
Many existing vehicles can have an engine conversion to use E85 from as little as $399, and up to $1500 for a fully installed flex-fuel system. The conversions take only a few hours to do. Once your car is driving on E85, you’re immediately cutting your carbon emissions, and improving everyone’s health too.
With the highest octane content of any fuel available at Australian petrol stations, using 85 Ethanol does not mean a loss of performance – rather, it generally means improved performance. The V8 Supercars race with E85, so if it’s good enough for racecars, imagine what it can do for you.
One of the most common misconceptions is that ethanol can damage some of your engine components, such as rubber hoses or fuel pumps. Most engine components will degrade over the years through fair wear and tear no matter what fuel is used. Driving on E85 expands the life of your engine components, so reduces the most expensive part of motoring: the service and maintenance costs. It also cleans out all the toxic carbon deposits that petrol has left in your engine, and once it’s clean, it will stay cleaner for longer.
Reduce Emissions
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian average large car travels 15,000km per year. Driving on petrol this emits 3.79 tonnes of CO2, on LPG 3.84 tonnes of CO2, a hybrid emits 2.84 tonnes of CO2, but a car driving the same distance on E85 only emits 0.57 tonnes of CO2.
Every litre of ethanol used also reduces the need for petrol. This is a big step in reducing our reliance on overseas crude oil imports. It also helps get Australian farmers back on the land, and will bring regional and rural communities back to life.
Petrol contains many harmful toxins, including the carcinogen benzene, toluene and xylene. Burning petrol pollutes and once you burn it, it’s gone forever. Ethanol is not a carrier of these deadly toxins and ethanol is biodegradable, water soluble and non-toxic and it also reduces fine particulate emissions.
Improve Health
Ethanol is a clear winner for improving health. Vehicle exhaust pollution is considered to be the cause of many health issues including inflammatory lung diseases such as Asthma and Bronchitis; increased cardio-vascular disease; and certain forms of leukaemia from exposure to toxic Benzene.
Associate Professor Ray Kearney from the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Sydney University writes in a 2006 Health Submission that in Sydney, twice as many people die from vehicle exhaust than die from road accidents. Cost of morbidity and mortality due to vehicle pollution in Sydney alone exceeds $1.5 billion annually (ABRE Report, 2003), and the risk of lung cancer for people living in urban areas is three-times that for those living in rural areas (CATF Report, Feb 2005).
The arguments for the benefits of crude (black gold) versus ethanol are fast being exposed as fool’s gold.
Contrary to belief not all motors are suited to ethanol. It doesn't keep the engine parts lubricated enough. "Green" cars will not be viable unless there is enough points and family cars, not having to use 2 for family and shopping.
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If you’re concerned about the environment and really serious about slashing your 
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