Ford's FlexFuel Vehicles Lets The Driver Decide

By Mike Thomas, FCN Ethanol or gasoline? Ford's flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) place the decision directly into the hands of the consumer.

Fortunately, the technology behind FFVs is so seamless to the consumer that the right choice is easier to make.

The reasons a consumer might choose to use ethanol are straightforward enough. E85 ethanol is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), E85 has the potential to reduce the country's use of imported oil by up to 30 percent.

In addition, ethanol used in a vehicle produces less carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming.

On the other hand, E85 is currently costlier to use than gasoline.

"Flex-fuel vehicles can run on E85, gasoline, or a blend of both," said Rob Seiter, supervisor, 4.6L Car Programs Section. "A gallon of E85 contains approximately 25 percent less energy, or BTUs, than a gallon of regular gasoline. It takes the same quantity of BTUs to move a vehicle a mile down the road, so a driver will use more E85 to cover the same distance. That fact makes E85 more expensive to use at the moment. E85 is a high octane fuel (approximately 105) and some tradeoffs can be taken to improve fuel consumption, as long as gasoline operation is not compromised."

According to the DOE, a driver would need 1.4 gallons of E85 to travel the same distance as one gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

Why then would anyone consider buying a flex-fuel vehicle?

The choice of driving a flex-fuel vehicle ultimately comes down to a few key benefits. Drivers can use E85 for the security of knowing that if gasoline becomes even pricier or if shortages cause gasoline rationing, the vehicle that can operate seamlessly on another fuel.

In addition, the consumer has the flexibility of being able to fill up with E85 if and when ethanol production ramps up, dropping prices at the pump.

And drivers get the satisfaction of doing something that helps address national energy security as well as global warming concerns.

The vehicles themselves typically do not cost more than conventional models. Indeed, when Bill Ford announced new FFV versions of such favorites as the F-150, he pointed out that they would be available at no extra charge to the consumer.

Along with no price premium, FFVs are also a relatively mature technology. Both Ford and the U.S. Government give the company the credit for inventing the technology back in the mid-1980s. Since then, more than 5 million FFVs have hit the road with the technology being refined all along the way.

Ethanol is essentially alcohol and is produced through the fermentation of sugars contained in plants, which leads to the first important difference between a FFV and a conventional vehicle.

"An FFV needs some special upgrades to avoid corrosion and wear," Seiter said. "The fuel tank, for example, is either plastic or has a special coating. Fuel lines are nylon 6 or stainless steel, the fuel injector is alcohol-tolerant, valves and seats are harder, and in some cases the head gasket must be more robust because combustion pressures increase more rapidly with ethanol."

Second, the engine controls need to know what fuel mix is entering the combustion chambers.

"A sensor detects a refill event, in other words when the customer puts fuel into the tank," Seiter said. "The electronics in the system are basically a rapid learning center. Usually within a mile or two of the vehicle being driven away, the system learns what fuel is being used by the way the vehicle operates and adjusts the air/fuel mixture accordingly."

This system makes the use of ethanol in a FFV a seamless experience to the consumer. If ethanol is not available, the driver fills up with gasoline and the vehicle adjusts. Similarly, filling the tank with E85 requires no special effort on the consumer's part; the FFV system does the work for the driver.

As James Healey wrote in USA Today, "Driving a flexible-fuel vehicle is about the same as driving a conventional vehicle. The look, the features, the layout all are identical to those on a gasoline-power model."

That opinion is seconded by the DOE. "Reduced fuel economy is the only real performance difference between E85 and gasoline vehicles."