Filed under: Trends, Hybrids/Alternative
Flex-fuel cars lead Brazilian auto sales
GM and Ford,
take note: flex-fuel cars outsold conventional gasoline driven cars in Brazil in 2005. Sales of flex-fuel cars, which run on any mixture of ethanol and gasoline, amounted to 53.6 percent of the Brazilian market in 2005, up from 17 percent in 2004.
Flex-fuel cars took off in 2003, when the Brazilian government instituted a 14 percent sales tax for cars capable of burning ethanol, instead of the 16 percent levied on gasoline-only vehicles. Ethanol-only cars were briefly popular in the late '80s in Brazil, driven by a combination of high oil prices and heavy government subsidies for domestically-produced ethanol. When oil prices fell, and sugar prices rose, the government could no longer afford to prop up the ethanol fuel market, and the ethanol-only cars virtually disappeared.
Unlike the corn- and soybean-derived ethanol used in the U.S., Brazil's ethanol is derived from sugar cane, and now supplies both domestic and export markets. Also unlike the U.S., Brazil is 91-percent self-sufficient in oil, and the country should reach total self-sufficiency when a huge offshore oil field discovery announced today goes on-line in 2011.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JZeke 10:42AM (1/13/2006)
Actually both Ford and GM have taken note, one of the biggest selling "Flex" cars is the Ford Fiesta Flex, theres also a very popular mini-Escape called the Ecosport Flex. On the GM front Chevy sells a couple models of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra with Flex motors.
I saw these and others when I was in Rio over christmas holiday, and they are definetly growing in numbers. TV and billboard ads were dominated by Flex cars. Some cab drivers had Flex motors too, but tended to prefer petrol for mountain runs, citing a decrease in overall power when running a flex fuel. But everyone I spoke to who had one said the fuel economy in flex mode was something close to double that of regular unleaded.
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whiplash 10:47AM (1/13/2006)
91 percent self sufficient! Amazing. And here we are, the most advanced country in the world, with our balls in an arab sling.
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Marcello Mastroianni 11:02AM (1/13/2006)
If I'm not mistaken, Ford and GM (and maybe DCX) are already selling a substantial number of flex-fuel vehicles to U.S. consumers for the sole purpose of complying with government regulations.
Two problems: 1) Consumers aren't aware that they're driving flex-fuel vehicles, and 2) it's almost impossible to find service stations that sell alternative fuels.
In other words, flex-fuel cars don't do a damn bit of good if they're just running on ordinary gasoline!
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St?ane Dumas 7:51PM (1/13/2006)
Marcello, you're Ford, GM, DCX have some numbers of flex-fuels vehicules and Nissan have the Titan available with the flex-fuel system, you can view a list of the vehicules availables with the flex-fuel system at http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php
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D Olson 3:42PM (2/06/2006)
I remember reading in the WEEKLY READER way back in elementary school (late 50s), that people were working on alternative fuels. I was excited back then and continued to wait..and waited...for this to come to pass. After hearing Pres. Bush at the 3M plant in Maplewood, MN, mention GM has been manufacturing cars using sugar for fuel in Brazil, I then read the article on Forbes.com, "Sugar in your Tank". My how technology has been bought up, controlled, squandered, and slowly metered out according to greed and profits! More needs to be done. America needs to demand answers and action.
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Phil Munisteri 2:31PM (4/24/2006)
I love our country and think its the best in the world. So why has it taked our government so long to do anything about the oil problem. Do we like sending so much $ over to the middle east. Lets cut off the flow of money to the Middle East by conserving and by fundind flex fuel cars!
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Louis Santana 2:08PM (4/27/2006)
Is there any conversion car kits to convert a gasoline
driven engine to alcohol. Such a 4-Cylinder Cavalier
Chevrolet 1999. It bothers me that USA has not awaken
yet, for the consumers and its enviorment.
If there is a kit kindly advice me.
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Mike Vay 1:13PM (5/14/2006)
How deep are the pockets of our leadership??
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smoke 1:07PM (7/13/2007)
It would be a great thing to stop sending money over there...but until they have the E85 at more gas stations i will be forced to continue using gas. I mean come on!! there are a little over 20 stations in Ohio with about 5 to 10 more on the way. are you kidding me??? the entire state??
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