More on BSR’s ethanol diesel car
I wrote a little about this a few days ago, but the rpess release has only just come out in the last 24 hours or so.
This is quite remarkable.
——
The world’s first ethanol powered diesel car at the Malmö Motor Show.
The world’s first diesel car converted to the environment friendly fuel ethanol is exhibited at the Malmö Motor Show.
BSR has optimised a diesel powered Saab 9-3 for the fuel E95 (95% ethanol). The result is reduced fuel consumption, high performance and minimized exhaust emissions.
This project is carried out together with SEKAB in Örnsköldsvik, a producer and distributor of Bioethanol, and with the EU project BEST (BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport).
Technical facts
Saab 9-3 with an original Saab diesel engine, where combustion chamber, fuel system and engine software have been modified.
- Max power 195 h.p., torque 410 Nm
- Low fuel consumption, road tests show approx. 5 lit/100 km
- 95 % less fossil CO2, minimal dangerous hydrocarbons and nitric oxide exhaust emission and basically complete elimination of particle emission.
Background
BSR has worked with ethanol conversions since 1997 and has influenced the authorities to change the legislation, soon making it legal to convert vehicles to alternative fuels. This legislation change will take effect from 1 July this year.
In 2003 BSR converted the first rally car to E85. This vehicle has reached iconic status is the rally circuits, where basically the entire Swedish rally elite used E85 powered vehicles.
BSR is now trying to show the possibilities to use ethanol as a fuel for diesel vehicles as well.
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The complete elimination of particle emission and low nitrous oxide emission makes this sound like a winner.
This is ridiculous. What a waste of time and money as bio-diesel is already cleaner, easier to make, and a better store of energy that ethanol, and will run in any diesel car already.
Its innovation and thinking outside the box. I wouldn’t say its a waste of time and money.
Could we get a comparison between normal diesel’s mpg and the mpg now? And 5lit/100km means what exactly ?
What you say about running in any diesel car may be true for B20, but not for any mix over B20. And, currently, biodiesel is only produced from vegetable oils, and the whole land mass of the USA couldn’t produce enough crops to produce sufficient biodiesel. If they get an algae method working, that’s another matter. Ethanol has more options, considering both algae and cellulosic methods.
But, what’s wrong with using both? We need a good mix of alternatives, including electric, etc. All our eggs shouldn’t be put in one basket.
Oops, my response above was meant for Mychal.
I agree that this is a huge step forward in innovation and the drive to alternative, efficient, and cleaner fuel sources. Developments like this within the Saab community need to be known outside the community. These are real improvements to clean up exhaust emissions while retaining that power and efficiency of a Saab that we all know and appreciate.
5 litres/100 km means just that. 5 litres of fuel consumed for every 100km travelled. To convert to American consumption figures would equal 47 mpg. Quite significant, though perhaps not in comparison with the existing diesel powerplant, but I think a huge step forward in reduction of emissions with similar efficiencies.
Unfortunately, Canada won’t see any of these developments any time soon since GM Canada doesn’t see the value - or profitability - in even considering selling the diesels in Canada. Meanwhile, Mercedes and BMW are already jumping into the market. Every time I see positive innovations like this I think - wow! Then I realize what market I live in and I think - crap.
47mpg is impressive. Thanks for the comparison, and Ethanol is cheaper, so sounds win win to me.
Its not just Cananda. I was told by a Saab representative, that Saab probably wouldn’t be bringing their BioPower engines to America, because Ethanol is seen as ‘trendy’ or a fad and Saab doesn’t follow trends. ARE YOU JOKING ME?
Saab is only one of the biggest proponents of Ethanol or Bio Diesel and to bring it to NA with also a normal diesel engine is just plain stupid. Saabs selling points continue to dwindle, they could at least play up their “greenness”.
The 5 l/100km is a ca figure at highwayspeed. So we will just have to wait and see the combined.
/Tom
95% ethanol and 5% of what? Diesel?
I have a real hard time supporting the use of ethanol … improved fuel mileage using a diesel engine would definately help this picture, but production capacity is decades off.
so is it 95 percent ethanol and 5 percent diesel. I’d like to see the conversion reports for this car
im better off researching bio-diesel.
The production of ethanol will be better of using non food raw materials.
Here is a FAQ of the swedish production.
http://www.sekab.com/default.asp?id=1902&refid=1995#top
Oh, and this is fun. This shows the plant of ethanol production….
http://www.sekab.com/default.asp?id=2019&refid=2031&l3=1998
vector220: Thank you for the links.
The Sekab data indicates that bioethanol costs 50-250% more to produce than gasoline or diesel. That seems far too high. Since bioethanol already contains less energy per gallon, why would anyone want it if there was such a huge price disparity relative to gasoline or diesel?
Sekab also says that “Ethanol is currently produced on commercial terms. There are no subsidies.” Perhaps they are referring to Sweden, but here in the USA there are substantial subsidies in place for ethanol. A good rundown of the relevant data for the US can be found here: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/analysispaper/biomass.html.
One interesting factoid is that E85 is available at only 0.5% of the filling stations in the USA and such stations are NOT located on the east and west coasts where most Saab buyers are located. Current flex-fuel car makers use biofuel capability as a marketing gimmick to get EPA fleet fuel consumption credits, without any real expectation that the owners will use E85. Saab, on the other hand, seems actually to be focusing on harnessing the high octane of bioethanol to boost power in relatively small engines. Good for them.
Where E85 is available (mostly in the mid-west), it’s cheaper than gas but returns lower MPG. Diesel usually returns great MPG numbers, but uses fuel that costs approx. 15% more than regular unleaded gas. Marrying E85 to diesel would be a brilliant move since it: a) delivers the advantages of both, b) minimizes the disadvantages and c) creates a larger single market for E85 instead of two smaller markets for E85 and biodiesel. Sounds almost too good to be true.
The price on diesel is exploding - due to the popularity of clean exaust and low fuel consumption!
Now dieselowners are trapped with prices higher than normal gasoline!!!!
Tricked by who?
Can you provide Ethanol to diesel engines it will be a total Winner.
Unless someone - “superintelligent” government also TAXES it to the sky.
So - maybee -tricked again!