Bio-ethanol - do you use it?

Looking at the Danbury ad in this week's Auto Express and the references to bio fuel, I'm curious how many AquaBay owners actually make use of this feature. Do you?

It's a long way to brazil for a top up not many places sell it in the uk LPG is more widespread

Not at the moment

1. Not many places over here selling it

2. Don't think it makes any difference to cost. Cost's a bit less but you don't get so many MPG

As far as I know there are very few places you can actually buy bio-ethanol in the UK (if any?) Morrisions were selling it at a hand full (maybe 20?) of forecourts with a higher concentration in the south-west, but they stopped at the end of 2010.

Even assuming they were still supplying it, although it was marginally less expensive per litre and (allegedly) provides an extra few horses, it also increases fuel consumption so the net result in terms of cost were negative. This probably explains why Morrisons disn't sell much and made the decision to stop.

We were quite looking forward to giving it a go - and I'm sure it will be back in due course when the duty levels change and make it financially viable - but for now we are stuck with regular unleaded petrol.

That said, regular unleaded includes 5% bio-ethanol in any case...

Some info:

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Transport/Business/Electric-vehicles/Cleaner-fuels/Bioethanol

Yes, we've invested in the old and the very new. Can't wait for FutureVWBay.com
osg

Interesting.

Right poll time: how significant a factor was your AquaBay's ability to run on bio-ethanol at your time of purchase and if it were more available, but at the same cost as unleaded, would you use it?

I would only use it if I was going to make a saving over unleaded.

I agree, although there is clearly an environmental benefit, it also has to be financially viable.

If the net cost was the same (lower price to balance the extra consumption) I would certainly use it.

Aircooled driver option added so our classic engined members can view the poll results.

With talk of petrol being replaced by other sources of power - LPG, batteries/fuel cells/electricity, hydrogen etc. - having an alternative seemed an excellent way to future-proof staying on the road. Bio-ethanol was already tried and tested in Brazil and was known to be half the cost of petrol - so seemed a good bet.
So to buy the Totalflex engine was a definite plus point.
Availability in the future still seems a likely expectation. But will it ever be sold cheaply in England? I very much doubt it.
osg

I used it for a while in 2009 when I was passing a Morrisons that stocked it, usually Weston super Mare when on the M5. However when I did the sums it was costing more in Pence per mile terms, so reluctantly back to unleaded.

In the Poll so far, 47% (8 of 17) thought it mattered to some extent.
osg

I have used 3 LPG cars and you get A fair bit less mpg on LPG as it is a weaker fuel I think bio seems similar and needs to be a fair bit cheaper to make it worth while

I got the impression from somewhere that it does put aquabays into a lower road tax bracket than might otherwise be the case...... can anyone confirm this?

It was an intriguing feature when we bought our van, but the chances of it going on widespread sale here in North Wales are not high.

CHRIS

Well with Virgin Atlantic today announcing plans to run their aircraft on a new form of jet fuel by 2 year's time by recycling carbon monoxide, nothing's impossible.

Blue Seagull wrote:

I got the impression from somewhere that it does put aquabays into a lower road tax bracket than might otherwise be the case...... can anyone confirm this?

CHRIS

Yep, I'm under the same impression, the Aquabays do have a lower road tax because of this. Which is a bit of result as we can't even get it over here.

Sure it's just a matter of time before it's readily available and cheap enough to use.

Been having a bit of a dig around the internet.
Looks like our Kombis are in Tax bracket F £130 for the year. Whereas the VW Fox 1.4 is in tax bracket G, £165 for the year but the Polo 1.4 is in bracket E. Only £115 for the year.

If you have a look HERE

Under the alternative fuels section then Tax bracket F should be £120 for the year.

So it looks like road tax isn't any cheaper

Can anyone with an aircooled confirm how much their road tax is??

kiteman wrote:

Can anyone with an aircooled confirm how much their road tax is??

my 55 plate air bay £215

Tilly said "Bio-ethanol won't be the same process at all I know - it will involve distilling something sugary "

Is it not still ( excuse the pun) illegal in this country to distil alcohol?

osg

In England, even petrol is cheaper than rum.
I wonder what is done in Brazil to stop the population drinking Bio-ethanol fuel?
osg

Latest in the Poll, 40% (10 of 25) thought the ability to use Bio-ethanol mattered to some extent
osg

Don't know if someone knows something we don't, but a lot of farms round here are growing elephant grass, which I believe is turned into bio-ethanol.

Good!!