The reason fuels like E85 don’t return the same fuel consumption as ULP is that often current engines can’t use the extra effective octane that high ethanol content fuels have . If engines had higher compression ratios and strategies like direct combustion chamber injection the gap between E85 and ULP consumption can be almost nothing . I believe it takes on some of the characteristics of a diesel engine but without the compression ignition or necessarily the long stroke or narrow rev range .

The greatest barrier to high content ethanol fuels its its water absorbency – I think the term is hygroscopic . If the manufacturers can find a way to continuously separate water from the fuel its water content may be manageable .

In time .

on the price side of things, LPG prices are the biggest rort. why doesnt the government audit those prices??
why did LPG prices have to double when the unleaded prices did??
how come LPG prices havent fallen like Unleaded prices have??

when LPG initially started to increase in price 5 or so years ago, the Taxi runners were screaming due to their regulated fares.
so what did the government do to shut the main lobby group up?? they allowed them to pass the increases on to the commuter.
easier to do that than show a bit of muscle i guess….

Agree with the LPG scenario, for Aust that is the best outcome short term. THe increased consumption really only pertaining to the Carby still in E-Gas at present, but the after market (and upcoming factory) sequential injection systems are very close to standard consumption and power figures. Now that we can keep the I6 for longer then the E-Gas upgrade will be able to pay for itself.

Therefore not requiring that farmers switch from food crops for food, over to food crops for ethanol production.

By the way, where’s everyones’ darling Toyota on this?
They have had diesels in Hiluxs & Hiaces for years & years, but no Diesel in Camry or Corolla, or Aurion for that matter.
They sell a Diesel Corolla in NZ!
Also, the Prius sells for what, neary $40 large?
It’s much cheaper in the US, so why do we get slugged so much extra for the same car?
It’s not like it’s had much in the way of upgrades; just the 1st model, & now the current model for the last few years.
If Toyota are just going to fully import the parts for the Hybrid Camry, then why do they need $35 million of Gov’t Assistance to do so?
If Toyota truly was the green, caring, people friendly car company they say they are, then we should have had cheaper Prius’ & Hybrid Camry/Aurion & Corolla from the get-go.

I agree, LPG would be a great way to go, as long as you can convince the punters that it’s cheaper & better overall, against the higher consumption.
Hi & Dry (Hyundai) have a good proposition: an LPG/Hybrid.

Best of both worlds, but they reckon it’s a Left Hand Drive only model at this stage.

Holden should be applauded for fnally bringing E85/Flex Fuel to the Australian market, considering they’ve been selling these engines in Commodores in Brazil for a while now.

I guess Toyota et al, don’t sell any Flex Fuel/E85 cars in Brazil, & THAT’S why they haven’t introduced any models like that here…………….

oh, and will 98 Octane Ethanol return the exact same performance figures as 98 unleaded??
just curious

Seriously though, reckless has hit the nail right on the head.
thats the biggest thing i cant figure out. i am constantly banging my head on the desk as to why they dont just take LPG further.
everything is already in place, they just need to push it.

I know ford are upgrading their LPG system at start of next year, lets hope they do a full monty thing with it so i can stop banging my head

i would like to add,for all the city jockies,that while alot of dry land farmers got reasonable wheat/oat crops off this year,many for the first time in 7 years,alot of other farmers with irrigation have decided (quite rightly)than it’s far more profitable to sell off their water allocations,and get a town job.this water sell off will be the death of regional australia.how the australian gov’t dreamed it up is anybody’s guess,but its to do with a few ex-powerful pollies,and few banks,and alot of peoples super funds.the ultimate end result will be higher grocery prices 4 everyone.now i’m all for cheaper fuel prices,but seriously if anybody thinks that e85 will be cheaper than petrol,their dreaming!!!