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A "flex-fuel" 2.0-liter turbo engine that runs on ethanol, an alternative renewable energy source, is being developed for the Saab 9-5. Il is scheduled to go into production next year, starting with the Swedish market while other markets are being studied. The use of ethanol can attract favourable environmental and business tax concessions because ethanol is commercially produced from grain crops and qualifies as a renewable energy source. Compared to conventional fuels, ethanol reduces emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The reduction in CO2 is substantial when ethanol is made from grain crops such as corn and wheat. In the future, when ethanol is made from biomass, the amount of CO2 emitted during the production and consumption of ethanol is almost equal to that removed from the atmosphere. ln its Saab turbo application, the high 104 RON octane rating of E85 fuel (the 85 percent ethanol gasoline blend) also produces a significant 20-percent increase in maximum engine power, up from 150 to 180 bhp. (Source: GM Overdrive)
As I far as I know (my loved one is an environment expert), ethanol is not that great when produced from grain crop if you consider all the pollution generated to grow the crops, including pesticides. Biomass is the best way to go on this one, but in any case it’s nice to see that Saab finally gets to play a more direct role towards improving our environment, i.e., our health, which off course is taking a severe beating from our growing use of automobiles worldwide. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg, as the actual pollution we generate today will truly affect us in more than twenty years. The phenomenal growth of the auto industry in China alone makes this even more chilling to envisage.
Didn’t mean to ruin anybody’s day, but we really have to address this reality. Sometimes when I drive home from work on a very busy highway, I try to visualise everybody that is doing the same thing at that very moment on the planet…it can be mind blowing, to say the least.
Cheers.
posted by 64.18.185...
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