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The failure of bioethanol in Ireland

  • 21-11-2010 07:44PM
    #1
    CompleteCarGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 181 ✭✭


    I was looking at some figures, which show that this year, there were 2967 Flexible Fuel (can run on E85 Bioethanol) cars sold, and of these, 2943 of them were the Renault Clio, which can run on it, but certainly isn't the reason people bought them (try the other €4,080 that was discounted for scrappage customers).

    The remainder is made up of a few other petrol Renault's (see reasons above for why they were bought) and aside from that the Flex Fuel cars are dead. Ford and Volvo have taken off their Flex Fuel models from their price lists, so now the only E85 Flex Fuels models are a handful of petrol Renault's and the new Saab 9-5 2.0 petrol BioPower (which has Band E road tax so nobody will buy anyway).

    The result is that we have 30 Maxol E85 stations around the country (although I wonder if this is still true - can anyone verify if these are all operational?

    http://www.maxol.ie/maxol-bioethanol-e85.html

    and these are for customers of around 7,200 cars since 2007. What percentage of these would you reckon actually buy the E85 anyway?

    I think it is fair to say that the E85 push was an utter failure?


Comments

  • #2
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,942 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    The two Maxol E85 stations near me are still there; but the one in Slane (its not Maxol, it was... erm, something? and is now Campus) doesn't seem to do E85 either.


  • #3
    CompleteCarGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 181 ✭✭CompleteCarGuy


    MYOB wrote: »
    The two Maxol E85 stations near me are still there; but the one in Slane (its not Maxol, it was... erm, something? and is now Campus) doesn't seem to do E85 either.

    Whereabouts are you?


  • #4
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,942 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Maynooth. The Maxol's in question are here and Celbridge.


  • #5
    ShiresV2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭ShiresV2


    My local Maxol station sees a steady trade from people with tuned Jap cars and people like me for whom an ethanol-petrol mix works very well. From speaking with them they have no plans to drop it. Obviously that says nothing about Maxol the distributor.


  • #6
    Ghost Estate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 559 ✭✭✭Ghost Estate


    i would have thought the ford focus was the most popular flex fuel.

    you dont need a flex fuel car to use the stuff. most cars will work fine with up to 40% e85. some small engines will run on pure e85 with adjusting the carb, or with a bit of choke

    there is only so much cheese made in ireland and only a certain amount of ethanol that can be got from the whey. just because not everyone is driving flex fuel cars doesn't mean its a failure. i often put 10-20e of e85 with a full tank and could probably do more.


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  • #7
    alias no.9
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,411 ✭✭✭alias no.9


    Wasn't there an initial VRT rebate when they were first introduced? I think this could have been phased out, leaving the Flex Fuel vehicles redundant because there is little other incentive to use it in run of the mill motors.


  • #8
    CompleteCarGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 181 ✭✭CompleteCarGuy


    Well they sold well before July 1st 2008, when the current emissions-based system arrived and that meant we all bought diesels. There is no real cost benefit to buying a FlexFuel vehicle now over a diesel as most have higher road tax too


  • #9
    Ghost Estate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 559 ✭✭✭Ghost Estate


    dont forget since this year we have a mandatory E5 blend now. Its easier to get 100% of all petrol cars to run on E5 or E10 than to get 5% using E85


  • #10
    limklad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭limklad


    Dublin Road Limerick is still have it, If the pumps are still working (Down far too often). Too many issues with the pumps, Now that E85 Price has increased, it is now not viable in comparison to Petrol. I been back on Petrol since that last big jump in E85 prices. Until Petrol Rocket again or E85 Price drops, I will not be back on it.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=68454896

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2010/1006/1224280455532.html


  • #11
    limklad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭limklad


    Ghost Estate wrote: »
    i would have thought the ford focus was the most popular flex fuel.

    you dont need a flex fuel car to use the stuff. most cars will work fine with up to 40% e85. some small engines will run on pure e85 with adjusting the carb, or with a bit of choke

    there is only so much cheese made in ireland and only a certain amount of ethanol that can be got from the whey. just because not everyone is driving flex fuel cars doesn't mean its a failure. i often put 10-20e of e85 with a full tank and could probably do more.
    You can get a kit to run your normal car on E85. I did on my 2005 Corolla. I got it shipped direct from the States, Even with customs added it was still cheaper for the same kit here. Insurance company was on board with no issues, they just have 1 request, that it be installed by a registered Mechanic.


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