aae ethanol is the next boom sector, page-2

Ethanol is used as a blend in petrol and retailed as an E10, which is 10% ethanol and 90% petrol. Ethanol is also available in varying percentages in different countries. For instance, Brazil has a mandate to use 23% ethanol in the total fuel pool and retails products such as E20, E25, E85 and even E100. In the USA, the sale of E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol) has increased significantly with the introduction in 2002 and the increased production and availability of Fuel Flexible Vehicles (FFV). FFV’s can successfully perform on any fuel mix without the need to “tune” the vehicle to the particular fuel being consumed. This is achieved by a “sniffer” in the fuel system which detects the type and mix of fuel being delivered to the engine which automatically adjusts the timing to suit the fuel mix. All cars manufactured post 1987 can safely and efficiently run on an ethanol mix but may require “manual tuning” if the ethanol content is above 15-20% and the vehicle is not fuel flexible.