Price rises for E85 make it less attractive

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From CM: Do you have any explanation for the sudden increase of E85 from €0.99 to €1.05 – and now €1.15?

According to a spokesman from Maxol, one of the main distributors of E85 in Ireland, it seems to be down to the increase in the price of bioethanol on international markets.

Any price advantage that exists for E85 over regular fuel may be further reduced next year, when the current Duty derogation that the fuel enjoys runs out. The Maxol spokesman said the firm is seriously concerned about the future of E85 “because current sales volumes do not justify our ongoing commitment to it”. He called on the the Government to reinstate the duty derogation on the fuel and the VRT incentive for flexifuel vehicles, saying it could reverse the trend.

Bioethanol was once regarded as and ideal interim solution between our thirst for oil and a new energy solution – either electric or hydrogen.

It lost some of its lustre, however, in the backlash against redirecting the use of arable land towards growing energy rather than food crops.

While there are sources of bioethanol that don’t impact on arable land usage – such as Carbery’s of Cork which produces ethanol from whey left over from cheese production – the food/ energy debate arises frequently in the bioethanol debate.

Biofuels continues to prove extremely popular in markets such as Brazil, which uses its indigenous sugar cane crops as a source for supply, but it has not proved the big success story many in the motor industry had hoped. So far this year, just 3.3 per cent – or 2,725 out of 83,457 – of new cars sold here boast flexifuel engines. The momentum from manufacturers to introduce E85 variants seems to be waning.

So long as the number of vehicles on offer remains limited, and prices look set to rise, buyers are not going to be tempted to opt for E85 variants. The alternative fuel debate may be moving away from bioethanol.

From Joe B: Is there a new Opel Zafira coming soon? I have the current version and we’re planning on changing in January. I see that the new Meriva is out and, although the dealer says a replacement Zafira is not due, I just want to be sure. If it’s coming out, is there any chance it will have the same rear door style as the Meriva?

The next generation Zafira isn’t due until January 2012 and will not feature the reverse-opening doors of the Meriva.

If you need to change this coming January, I’d suggest you also consider the new Ford S-Max, new Mazda5, or the Citroën C4 Picasso seven-seater. This trio of people carriers are firm favourites for us, with Ford edging it in terms of handling and performance.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or e-mail motorshelp@irishtimes.com