US to see an influx of flex-fuel cars
In the US car producers are apparently meeting targets that will soon see an increase of ethanol-fuelled vehicles on US roads.
There are currently around 8 million flex-fuel vehicles in operation and, although not as efficient as petrol, E85 is cheaper due to the subsidies awarded by the government. These total around $6 billion a year.
According to General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group, they will meet a pledge made back in 2006 that will see them double their total number of flex-fuel vehicles produced by Q4 2010. 700,000 of the automobiles were made in 2006, meaning production will have to increase to 1.4 million by the end of the year in order for the pledge to be met.
These companies also have a vision to make 50% of their vehicle production flex-fuel by 2012. This figure currently stands at 30%.
However the motor companies explain that this goal may not be achieved due to the availability of ethanol pumps, despite there being in excess of 2,000 petrol stations in the US offering E85 pumps. That is the equivalent to less than 1 in 5 stations, with a huge proportion of these located in the Midwest of the country.
‘We haven’t changed the commitment because we really do believe that biofuels need to be a piece of it,’ said Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore.
Despite an 11% rise in ethanol pumps in 2009 this percentage is much less than what has been see in previous years.
There are currently around 8 million flex-fuel vehicles in operation and, although not as efficient as petrol, E85 is cheaper due to the subsidies awarded by the government. These total around $6 billion a year.
According to General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group, they will meet a pledge made back in 2006 that will see them double their total number of flex-fuel vehicles produced by Q4 2010. 700,000 of the automobiles were made in 2006, meaning production will have to increase to 1.4 million by the end of the year in order for the pledge to be met.
These companies also have a vision to make 50% of their vehicle production flex-fuel by 2012. This figure currently stands at 30%.
However the motor companies explain that this goal may not be achieved due to the availability of ethanol pumps, despite there being in excess of 2,000 petrol stations in the US offering E85 pumps. That is the equivalent to less than 1 in 5 stations, with a huge proportion of these located in the Midwest of the country.
‘We haven’t changed the commitment because we really do believe that biofuels need to be a piece of it,’ said Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore.
Despite an 11% rise in ethanol pumps in 2009 this percentage is much less than what has been see in previous years.
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