Katerina Swanson
Flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on gasoline or a blend of ethanol and gasoline. They are equipped with advanced technology, including electronic sensors, that allow the vehicle to detect the fuel blend and make the necessary adjustments. FFVs are common in Brazil and the United States, with automakers using badging or labels to indicate their FFV models. In the US, FFVs are also known as E85 vehicles, and they feature a yellow gas cap. While there are debates about the pros and cons of flex-fuel vehicles, they offer an environmentally friendly and economical fuel option, with ethanol being produced from sustainable sources such as cane sugar and corn.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common names | Flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs), E85 vehicles, "total flex" or "flex" cars, "flexifuel" vehicles |
| Fuel type | Gasoline, ethanol, or a mixture of both |
| Ethanol blend | Up to 83%-85% ethanol |
| Gas mileage | Similar to regular fuel-powered vehicles, but lower when using ethanol |
| Environmental impact | Environmentally friendly due to reduced greenhouse gas emissions |
| Fuel economy | 15-27% fewer miles per gallon when using ethanol |
| Fuel availability | Limited availability of E85 refueling infrastructure |
| Vehicle identification | Yellow gas cap, yellow ring around capless fuel filler, or labels/stickers indicating flex-fuel capability |
| Tax benefits | Consumers may receive tax credits that reduce or eliminate tax obligations |
| Performance | No loss in performance when using E85; some FFVs generate more torque and horsepower |
| Models | Over 100 models available, including Ford, Chevrolet, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Renault |
| Markets | Brazil, United States, Canada, Europe (especially Sweden) |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Ethanol-based flex-fuel vehicles
Flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are capable of operating with more than one type of fuel. The most common commercially available FFV in the world market is the ethanol-based flexible-fuel vehicle, with about 60 million automobiles, motorcycles, and light-duty trucks manufactured and sold worldwide by March 2018.
Ethanol-based FFVs became commercially available in the late 1990s, and the term "flexible-fuel vehicle" became synonymous with these cars. In the United States, flex-fuel vehicles are also known as "E85 vehicles", while in Brazil, they are known as "total flex" or simply "flex" cars. In Europe, FFVs are known as "flexifuel" vehicles. Automakers, particularly in Brazil and Europe, use badging in their FFV models with some variant of the word "flex", such as Volvo Flexifuel, Volkswagen Total Flex, and Chevrolet FlexPower. Ford sells its Focus model in Europe as Flexifuel and as Flex in Brazil. In the US, since 2008, FFV models feature a yellow gas cap with the label "E85/Gasoline" to differentiate them from gasoline-only models.
In 2004, GM do Brasil introduced the Chevrolet Astra 2.0 with a "MultiPower" engine capable of using CNG, ethanol, and gasoline (E20-E25 blend) as fuel. In 2006, Fiat introduced the Fiat Siena Tetra fuel, a four-fuel car capable of running on 100% ethanol (E100), E20 to E25, pure gasoline, or natural gas. In 2008, Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford pledged to manufacture 50% of their entire vehicle line as flexible fuel by 2012 if enough fueling infrastructure was developed.
Car Wash and Fuel: Sam's Club Fuel Centers Offerings
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Flex-fuel vehicles in the US
Flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83% ethanol. E85, or flex fuel, is a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season. During the summer months, E85 contains up to 83% ethanol content, while in the winter, this amount is reduced in some regions to avoid cold-weather starting problems. E85 is the most common type of flex fuel and indicates an 85% ethanol/15% gasoline blend.
The fleet of flexible-fuel vehicles in the United States is the second largest in the world after Brazil. There were more than 21 million E85 flex-fuel vehicles in the United States by the end of 2017, up from about 11 million flex-fuel cars and light trucks in operation as of early 2013. However, the actual use of ethanol fuel is limited due to the lack of E85 refueling infrastructure and because many North American flex-fuel car owners are not aware they own an E85 flex-fuel vehicle. A 2005 survey found that 68% of American flex-fuel car owners were unaware that their car was an E85 flex. This is partly due to the lack of exterior labeling on flex-fuel vehicles and the fact that flex and non-flex vehicles look exactly the same.
Flex-fuel vehicles are common in the Midwest, where corn is a major crop and the primary feedstock for ethanol fuel production. The demand for ethanol fuel produced from field corn in the United States was stimulated by the discovery in the late 90s that methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), an additive in gasoline, was contaminating groundwater. The substitution of MTBE opened a new market for ethanol fuel, contributing to a sharp increase in the production and sale of E85 flex vehicles since 2002.
Several manufacturers produce FFVs, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Audi, Nissan, VW, Mercedes, and Toyota. Ford was the first manufacturer to introduce commercial flex-fuel vehicles in 1996 and continues to offer a range of personal and commercial vehicles that can accommodate flex-fuel blends. Some of the models Ford currently offers that can use flex fuel are the Ford F-150 Pickup, Ford Explorer, and Ford Transit Cargo Van. Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi also offer flex-fuel vehicles, but these are currently only available in the Brazilian market.
Fuel Cell Cars: Powering a Green Revolution
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Flex-fuel vehicles in Europe
In Europe, flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are commonly known as "flexifuel" vehicles. They are based on dual-fuel systems that supply both fuels into the combustion chamber at the same time in various calibrated proportions. The most common commercially available FFV in the world market is the ethanol flexible-fuel vehicle, with about 60 million automobiles, motorcycles, and light-duty trucks manufactured and sold worldwide by March 2018. Europe is the fourth-largest market for FFVs, after Brazil, the United States, and Canada. Within Europe, Sweden has the largest fleet of E85 flexifuel vehicles, with 243,136 vehicles as of December 2014, up from 717 in 2001. This growth can be attributed to the National Climate Policy in Global Cooperation Bill passed in 2005, which ratified the Kyoto Protocol and sought to meet the 2003 EU Biofuels Directive.
Flexifuel vehicles are sold in 18 European countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In Sweden, all flexible-fuel vehicles use an E75 winter blend instead of E85 to avoid engine starting problems during cold weather. This blend was introduced in the winter of 2006–07 and is used from November until March.
Several European automakers offer FFV models, including Audi, Citroën, Dacia, Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Volvo, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Renault also offer FFV models, badged with some variant of the word "flex". For example, Volvo offers the Flexifuel models S80, S40, C30, V50, and V70. Other models available in Europe include the Ford C-Max Flexifuel, the Peugeot 308 Bioflex, the Citroën C4 Bioflex, the Audi A5, and the Saab 9-5 and 9-3 Biopower.
Some companies in Europe offer aftermarket devices that convert normal gasoline engine vehicles into flexifuel vehicles. These devices are electronic control units that claim to recalibrate the engine to run on E85. However, the ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association) has deemed the sale and installation of these devices dangerous, as they present several risks in terms of reliability, corrosion, and service to the client.
Driving Without a Fuel Cap: Safe or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Flex-fuel vehicles in Brazil
Brazil has a long history of using ethanol as an alternative to gasoline. This began in 1931, when a 5% mix of ethanol was introduced into Brazil's gasoline supplies. During World War II, when German submarines threatened the country's oil supply, the percentage of ethanol in "gasoline" rose to as much as 50%.
In 1975, Brazil began its "Programa Nacional Álcohol" to counteract the soaring oil and gasoline prices that followed the 1973 oil crisis. After this, the country's use of ethanol can be divided into two eras: the ethanol-only-car era and the flex-fuel era.
Brazil's flex-fuel era began in the early 2000s, when more advanced engine technology allowed the introduction of flex-fuel cars. These vehicles can run on any proportion of gasoline (E20-E25 blend) and hydrous ethanol (E100), or any mixture of the two. Pure gasoline is no longer sold in the country, and all Brazilian automakers have optimized flex vehicles to run with gasoline blends from E20 to E25.
By 2013, flex vehicles dominated the passenger vehicle market with a 94% market share of all new cars and light vehicles sold. As of June 2015, flex-fuel light-duty vehicle cumulative sales totaled 25.5 million units. The rapid adoption and commercial success of flex vehicles have been attributed to the existence of 33,000 filling stations with at least one ethanol pump available by 2006, as well as the mandatory blend of alcohol with gasoline as E25 fuel.
The popularity of flex-fuel vehicles in Brazil has continued into the 2020s, with sales reaching 1.63 million units in 2022. However, this popularity has been at the expense of electric vehicles (EVs), which are still viewed as a niche option in Brazil. Experts believe that the country's focus on flex-fuel vehicles could hinder the uptake of battery-operated cars in the long term.
Improving Diesel Car Fuel Efficiency: Tips and Tricks
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Bi-fuel and multifuel vehicles
Flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are based on dual-fuel systems that supply both fuels into the combustion chamber simultaneously in various calibrated proportions. The most common commercially available FFV in the world market is the ethanol flexible-fuel vehicle, with about 60 million automobiles, motorcycles, and light-duty trucks manufactured and sold worldwide by March 2018.
The term flexible-fuel vehicles is sometimes used to include other alternative fuel vehicles that can run with compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); also known as autogas, or hydrogen. However, all these vehicles are actually bi-fuel, not flexible-fuel vehicles, because they have engines that store the other fuel in a separate tank, and the engine runs on one fuel at a time. Bi-fuel vehicles have the capability to switch back and forth from gasoline to the other fuel, manually or automatically. The most common available fuel in the market for bi-fuel cars is natural gas (CNG), and by 2008 there were 9.6 million natural gas vehicles worldwide.
Bi-fuel vehicles are vehicles with multifuel engines capable of running on two fuels. The two fuels are stored in separate tanks and the engine runs on one fuel at a time. On internal combustion engines, a bi-fuel engine typically burns gasoline and a volatile alternate fuel such as natural gas (CNG), LPG, or hydrogen. Bi-fuel vehicles switch between gasoline and the other fuel, manually or automatically. A related concept is the dual-fuel vehicle, which must burn both fuels in combination. Diesel engines converted to use gaseous fuels fall into this class due to the different ignition system.
Multifuel vehicles are capable of operating with more than two fuels. In 2004, GM do Brasil introduced the Chevrolet Astra 2.0 with a "MultiPower" engine built on flex-fuel technology, capable of using CNG, ethanol, and gasoline (E20-E25 blend) as fuel. This automobile was aimed at the taxicab market, and the switch among fuels is done manually. In 2006, Fiat introduced the Fiat Siena Tetra fuel, a four-fuel car. This automobile can run as a flex-fuel on 100% ethanol (E100); or on E-20 to E25, Brazil's normal ethanol gasoline blend; on pure gasoline; or just on natural gas. The Siena Tetrafuel was engineered to switch from any gasoline-ethanol blend to CNG automatically, depending on the power required by road conditions.
Electric Cars: Fuel-Free Future?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
A flex-fuel car can use regular gasoline but is able to detect and adjust to E85 (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline). They are also known as flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) and have been produced since the 1990s.
In the US, flex-fuel cars feature a yellow gas cap with the label "E85/Gasoline". In Brazil, FFVs are known as "total flex" or "flex" cars, and automakers use badging with some variant of the word "flex". In Europe, they are known as "flexifuel" vehicles.
Flex-fuel cars are more environmentally friendly, as ethanol is sustainably produced from ingredients such as cane sugar and corn. They are also more economical, as ethanol costs less than regular gasoline.
