|
Biofuel powered cars
Sweden is at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to renewable fuel. Their experience with bio diesel and cars running on ethanol gave them a strong hold of that particular market. Swedish manufacturers of cars are amongst the leaders in the biofuel powered car market. How did they get to that position while other countries are only just now starting their own experiments with bio fuels?
SEKAB was one of the key players when ethanol for cars was first tested on two public transportation buses in 1986 in the Örnsköldsvik region. Only 3 years later that amount was increased to 30 vehicles in Stockholm. SEKAB was in charge of delivering the fuel which now makes them one of the leading organizations when it comes to experience with ethanol powered buses. With 20 years of experience under their belt they leave other countries behind that have just started out testing ethanol powered public transportation. Sweden now has over 600 ethanol powered vehicles and through Scania has become a leader in that particular area of expertise. The first hybrid cars capable of running on regular and ethanol fuel were imported in 1994.
The first Ford cars were also brought to Örnsköldsvik, being the only area with an installed pump that could service ethanol powered vehicles at the time. Around that period the BAFF began its lobby for using ethanol for cars. They stumbled on an unexpected obstacle: With no cars to service, who would start an ethanol fuel facility, and without them, who was going to purchase an ethanol powered car?
Through country wide agreements with all kinds of governmental bodies, ethanol cars were obtained and pumps installed. This in turn attracted the interest of car manufacturers wanting in on the creation of more ethanol powered models. The Swedish being among the most environmentally aware people in the world provided a fertile market for this type of car, offering a cleaner means of transportation to the public. The result: Ford and Saab are now the leaders in ethanol powered vehicles while Volvo also has developed several types of hybrids. The increase in available models and pumps has caused this market to grow at an exceptionally fast rate. At the start of the experiment, 10 years were required to create 100 E85 pumps that could service ethanol powered cars, that amount is created currently every 2 months and still increasing. Currently Sweden has approximately 1400 E85 pumps, equipped to service ethanol powered cars, which are servicing around 147000 ethanol powered cars nationwide.
This puts Sweden in the driver's seat when it comes to showing the world how to effectively use cleaner fuels while preserving the earth's natural resources.
|
