Cars of the Future Might Run on Alcohol Instead of Petrol. Hic.

With diesel car registrations being banned in Delhi by the Supreme Court, it’s time to look at alternatives.

The future lies in alcohol, for cars. (Photo: iStockphoto/altered by The Quint)

When we say that future cars might run on alcohol, we don’t mean that you’ll be pouring leftover beer into your car’s fuel tank, instead, a particular kind of alcohol could be the alternative to petrol and diesel cars – Ethanol.

Banning diesel vehicles can be a temporary relief from choking on pollutants for Delhiites, but it isn’t a permanent fix to the increasing pollution levels in the city.

Ethanol-run cars are gaining popularity worldwide and, the interesting part is, your car may be able to run on it as well. Wondering how? The Quint answers.

What is Ethanol?

It is the principal type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, produced by the fermentation of sugar by yeasts.

How can it be used to run cars?

Cars can run on mixtures of Ethanol and petrol. These mixtures are indicated with a number and an “E” as a prefix. These describe the percentage of ethanol fuel in the mixture by volume, for example, E85 is 85% anhydrous ethanol and 15% petrol. The mixtures range from E5 to E100.

Can it only be used in cars with petrol engines?

Ethanol is mostly used as a mixture with petrol, but diesel mixtures have started to gain popularity as well. ED95 is one of the most widely used diesel mixtures which consists 95% ethanol. But to use it, engine modification is required and hence, it is not as cost effective as petrol mixtures.

How is it better than using only petrol/diesel as fuel for cars?

Running on a mixture of petrol/diesel and ethanol reduces the number of pollutants emitted by a car.

How important is the ratio of mixture anyway?

Very. Ethanol is flammable and can be dangerous if not used in the correct quantity.

I am on my way to get some Alco... Ethanol, is there anything else that I should know?

The technology is still in its infancy but definitely a promising one. As of now, most modern-day automobiles are capable of running on E5 and E7. Engine modifications are required for running E10 and higher. It also damages the engine.

Wait, what?

Yes, Ethanol is corrosive and can degrade materials used in the engine and fuel system. The car also gives lowered fuel mileage and anhydrous ethanol can be difficult to find.

There are disadvantages, but if automakers decide to build vehicles compatible with ethanol and the government decides to make the fuel available, then a less polluted city may not seem like a far-fetched dream.

Lessons can be taken from Sweden.

Since 1985, around 700 ethanol buses have been produced by Swedish automaker Scania and more than 600 of them are being used in Swedish cities. The company has also delivered ethanol buses for commercial service in Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Norway.