A new device that it is claimed can make an ordinary petrol-driven car cleaner and more powerful by converting it to run on cheaper bio-ethanol (E85) has opened the way for motorists to use a growing network of E85 outlets here, and to play their part in reducing CO2 emissions.
However, motorists hoping to avail of a recently introduced incentive to convert to bio-ethanol fuelled cars will be disappointed to learn that the tax break is not available for this aftermarket conversion kit.
A 50 per cent refund of Vehicle Registration Tax is offered only on vehicles that have been introduced from new to run on bio-ethanol, such as the Ford Focus FFV. According to the Revenue Commissioners: "The refund is on series production vehicles only, ie, vehicles that have been originally designed and manufactured to run on petrol or a combination of petrol and ethanol. No rebate is available on a vehicle converted from one designed to run on patrol alone, to one designed to run on a blend of petrol and ethanol."
However, there are still benefits for switching to bio-ethanol, not least that there is tax relief on the fuel, which means cleaner bio-ethanol currently costs around 90c per litre, which represents a saving of around 30c per litre over unleaded petrol. A car that runs on E85 - 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol - also produces up to 70 per cent less CO2 emissions compared to the petrol equivalent.
Bio-ethanol E85 pumps are being phased in by Maxol as part of an agreement with Ford, which introduced its Focus FFV last year that can run on E85 or unleaded petrol or any mixture of the two.
Now, with the introduction of this new device, which its manufacturer claims can be fitted in an hour and costs from €585 for a four-cylinder engine, any petrol-driven car can be converted to run on E85 or unleaded fuel.
Green Fuels, based in Wiltshire, England, says the matchbox-sized device, known as the Fullflex Gold Bi-Fuel Manager, can be plugged into a vehicle's engine management unit and attached to its injectors. Once fitted, the vehicle can run on E85, unleaded petrol or a mix of both. Cars fitted with the kit also benefit from a 10 per cent increase in power because of E85's higher octane level.
Most modern petrol-driven cars can already run on a combination of up to 10 per cent bio-ethanol and 90 per cent petrol. However, any greater percentage of ethanol in the fuel could cause damage, which is why manufacturers will not respect warranties on vehicles that have this aftermarket conversion.
This means the Fullflex is unlikely to be bought by owners of cars that are still covered by a manufacturer's warranty. However, James Hygate from Green Fuels, explained that the company is currently in discussion with a major insurer to offer warranty cover on cars with the conversion.
In the meantime, owners of any petrol-fuelled cars out of their warranty period can have the device fitted. The manufacturer also recommends that cars that have covered over 62,500 miles should have their filters changed and sensors such as the lambda sensor checked before fitting the device.
Concerns over the corrosive nature of bio-ethanol should not be a factor, says Hygate. "In Brazil there are over two million cars running on bio-ethanol with this type of device," he says. "Any modern petrol car newer than 1990 that has fuel injection can use this safely, anything older than that could have rubber that could corrode."
Irish bio-ethanol is produced by Carbery from a by-product of the dairy industry. It is then supplied to motorists through a growing network of Maxol stations.
The fuel is now on sale in Cork, Dublin, Louth, Waterford and shortly in Navan. As demand increases, it is expected that up to 50 Maxol stations will sell bio-ethanol.
With the arrival of the aftermarket device, demand is expected to increase. The device, which went on sale in Europe this week, is similar to those that have been on sale for the past 20 years in Brazil where motorists have adopted bio-ethanol technology rapidly, thanks largely to its sugar beet industry which provides the raw ingredients for the fuel.