Ford has introduced its new generation Focus Flexi-Fuel, plus a Flexi-Fuel version of the C-Max five-seater minivan in Sweden this week.
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The automaker claims to be the leading manufacturer of ethanol-powered vehicles in Europe.
“There is a lot to be proud of with [the new vehicles], from demonstrating Ford’s commitment to lead the industry in affordable bio-ethanol technologies to showing what can be achieved when government and business and private enterprise work together,” said Wolfgang Schneider, head of governmental and environmental affairs for Ford of Europe.
“We consider these technologies to be of critical importance and that is why Ford will continue to explore and support other bio-ethanol initiatives across Europe.”
In a statement, Ford said that co-operation between government, manufacturers and the private sector is most important for establishing bio-ethanol as “a successful pillar of sustainable mobility”.
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By GlobalDataWorking closely with the Swedish Flexi-Fuel Buyers’ Consortium, a conglomeration of public organisations, commercial enterprises and private individuals, Ford was the first manufacturer to offer bio-ethanol powered vehicles in a European market. Since its introduction in 2001, Ford has sold over 15,000 Focus Flexi-Fuels in Sweden, accounting, in 2003 and 2004, for more than 80% of the environmentally friendly cars sold in Sweden.
“It was this co-operation that allowed us to deal with what we call the “chicken and egg situation,” said Schneider. “An adequate fuel infrastructure is a prerequisite for consumers buying these vehicles, yet a lack of vehicles on the road would provide little incentive to establish a fuel infrastructure. The Focus Flexi-Fuel Vehicle, or FFV, proves what can be accomplished when all the major players are working towards a common goal.”
Sweden has long been a leader in promoting environment-friendly vehicles, mandating catalytic converters for petrol-powered passenger cars in the 1980s, about a decade before most countries in western Europe followed suit.
The new Flexi-Fuel Ford models now being introduced are capable of running on both bio-ethanol (E85) and petrol or any mix of both in one fuel tank, making them truly flexible, both in terms of their technology and customer operation.
As bio-ethanol is a renewable fuel derived from plants (such as cereals, sugar beet, etc.) or biomass (such as wood waste), the primary environmental benefit is the reduction of CO 2 emissions – the main greenhouse gas thought to be responsible for global warming.
When using this biomass or plant based material to derive bio-ethanol fuel, the CO2 circle can, to large degree, be “closed-loop”. The photosynthesis process of plants sees carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants, etc during their growth only to be released as the bio-ethanol is used as fuel. Thus, from a holistic “well-to-wheel” perspective, the use of bio-ethanol can lead to a 70% reduction in overall CO 2 emissions compared to a traditional petrol-only engine.
Another key advantage is relative cost. Ford of Sweden offers the Flexi-Fuel technology at a very reasonable cost to customers. Offering this kind of benefit at a low cost is highly unusual when compared to other environmentally advanced technologies. With bio-ethanol E85 (85% bio-ethanol, 15% petrol) being similar in price to petrol with the government tax exemptions, the Flexi-Fuel models make both good economic and environmental sense for customers.
In addition to providing CO2 benefits the Focus Flexi-Fuel has air quality impacts with lower levels of emissions such as NOx than many conventional petrol vehicles.
“These Flexi-Fuel vehicles are a great win for our customers as they get a vehicle that is very environmentally friendly with highly affordable technology, and the car is available today,” said Schneider.
The technology to achieve the low CO 2 levels is not significantly different from the conventional petrol Focus model. Essentially, three alterations were made to the conventional model.
First, the valves and valve seats of the 1.8-litre 16-valve petrol engine are made of especially hardened material.
Second, there is a variable ignition map that adapts to the respective ratio of bio-ethanol and petrol present in the fuel tank. This is done automatically without the driver having to make any adjustments.
Finally, because bio-ethanol fuel has less positive cold starting characteristics than petrol, the cylinder block has particularly effective pre-heating once the temperature decreases below minus15 degrees Celsius.
