The Bangkok Post reports that although car companies are supporting the government’s campaign by urging motorists to switch from conventional gasoline – benzene – to gasohol (which is 10% ethanol), most of them are not guaranteeing that use of this alternative fuel won’t result in engine breakdown.
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Toyota Motor Thailand is the only brand contacted by the Post to openly say that it will not be responsible for any damage caused from gasohol, even though it said that most models produced after 1995 can run on gasohol.
“After the warranty (three years or 100,000km which ever comes first) expires, we cannot be held responsible [for engine damage from use of gasohol],” stressed Suparat Sirisuwangkura, vice-president of Toyota Motor Thailand speaking to the Bangkok Post.
The newspaper said that Energy Minister Viset Choopiban claimed during a recent seminar that gasohol poses no threat to engines, and that no modifications were needed to accommodate it use.
However, the report added that a large number of motorists are still concerned whether gasohol would have a negative effect on the engine in the long run.
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By GlobalDataWallop Tiasiri, director of the Thai Automotive Institute, said there may be a drop in performance when using gasohol, although “it cannot be felt in daily driving or when not driving at high speeds”.
According to car experts, this is the same approach applied when assessing the difference between benzene 91 and 95, the latter benefiting from better top-end performance, albeit higher price.
The report added that other car companies including Honda, Mitsubishi, Ford, Mazda, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volvo have taken a softer approach by saying that problems caused from gasohol will be dealt with on a “case-by-case basis”.
“Since the year 2000, we have undergone durability tests of our cars using E10 and have found no negative effects on the engine. But should there be any problems, we would set up a workshop to handle the customer’s problem,” said Wit Sittivaekin, spokesman for BMW Group (Thailand).
Gasohol is an alternative source of fuel being promoted by the Thai government. It blends 90% benzene together with 10% ethanol. This mixture is referred to as E10.
The amount of ethanol – also known as ethyl alcohol produced from agricultural crops like sugarcane – can be increased to obtain E20 and E30 depending on suitability. These are already used in some countries, including the US.
