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By
BARRY LAKE
25 January 2007
Not so long ago there was fierce debate about whether or not we
should accept the addition of 10 per cent of vegetable-sourced ethanol
to our petrol. Now, Saab is planning to sell a version of its top
selling 9-5 model in Australia that can run on petrol blends with up to
85 per cent ethanol.
Such a blend is not yet available in Australia but Saab’s
theory is that if the demand is there, the fuel companies will
begin to market the product.
In the meantime, the good news is that the 2.0-litre,
turbocharged BioPower engines will run on any mix, from straight
petrol through 10 per cent ethanol, all the way up to 85 per cent
and all variations between.
The major problem with adding ethanol to all petrol is that it
is can have a corrosive effect on some metals and on rubber
fittings in current and older cars. Converting existing cars to
cope with this by replacing various components can be complicated
and expensive and not necessarily completely successful.
But building these components into a purpose-designed new car
is quite simple and inexpensive by comparison.
Initially, Saab Australia will be loaning BioPower vehicles to
media, to government fleets and to various industry fleets for
real-world evaluation.
The Queensland government, which stands to benefit from the use
of otherwise wasted by-products of the refining of Queensland-grown
sugar cane to produce the ethanol, already has ordered some of
these Saabs. So, too, has NSW ethanol producing company Manildra.
The Saab 9-5 BioPower was introduced in Sweden 18 months ago -
July 2005 - and more than 12,000 have been sold in that country
since then. Buyers in neighbouring country Norway have begun to
discover the benefits of the car, and it also has been launched in
the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
Some governments, particularly the Swedish one, are offering
major tax, and other, financial incentives to attract buyers to
the car.
Since Australia already has an ethanol industry, it would seem
obvious that some sort of incentive should be offered to BioPower
buyers here, although no promises have yet been made on this
front.
It has been suggested that an 85 percent ethanol/petrol mix
would be, "…considerably cheaper than petrol"
One immediate advantage is that engine performance is improved
when running on the E85 fuel as compared with unleaded petrol.
This is because the E85 fuel has a higher octane rating than
petrol. The engine is set up to take advantage of this, being
optimised for E85. The engine’s electronic computer control,
guided by a sophisticated knock sensor system, can adjust ignition
timing and fuel/air mixture to suit petrol or any mix of
ethanol/petrol.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged BioPower engine produces 132 kW of
power compared to 110 kW for the same engine running on petrol.
Acceleration from a standing start to 100 km/h takes 8.5 seconds
for the BioPower engine running on E85, compared to 9.8 seconds
for the petrol powered version.
It is estimated that Saab 9-5 E85 cars will cost about $1500
more than the petrol-only version. This compares to an approximate
$2,000 premium for a diesel powered version of the 9-5.
A sizeable swing to ethanol as a replacement for petrol would
reduce the world reliance on oil for fuel. Ethanol, made from
almost any plant matter, unlike petrol, is a totally renewable
resource. The claim, also, is it reduces the amount of carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
This is based on the fact that the plants grown to produce
ethanol absorb as much CO2 from the air in their growth process as
is produced when the fuel is burned.
There are tricks to this type of statistic, however, in that
ethanol in Australia is made mostly from what otherwise would be
wasted material from the refining of sugar cane to sugar. The
plants already are being grown whether or not part of them is
converted to ethanol.
Another factor is that the CO2 produced by the production of
the ethanol, as well as by trucks transporting both the raw
materials and the ethanol itself can offset some or even all of
the CO2 that is saved. Extremely large areas of land would have to
be set aside to grow fuel for ethanol production if it was to
become a major part of the fuel supply.
But this Saab is a step in the right direction. Though Saab
will receive some kudos from being the first company to make such
a move in this country, a spokesperson suggested that within 12
months other companies will be looking at introducing E85 versions
of at least some models.
As further proof of its determination to do its bit for the
environment, Saab has agreed to, through Greenfleet, plant 17
native trees for every Saab sold. This is the calculated number of
trees it takes to absorb the CO2 emitted by one car each year.
European car makers have been telling us that diesel engines
are a better short-term solution to reducing consumption of oil
products even than hybrids. So it is no surprise that Saab also
has chosen to introduce a 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel engine to
its 9-3 range, including Australia’s first diesel powered
convertible.
As stated, these cars will sell new at around $2000 above the
price of an equivalent petrol-powered model.
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Marque Publishing Company
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