Holden To Apply "E10 Suitable" Ethanol Label To Its Imported Vehicles

[JoeT]

Holden Leads With Ethanol Labelling

GM Media
28 June 2006
www.media.gm.com

In a first for an Australian car manufacturer, GM Holden today announced it would begin applying an "E10 suitable" label to its imported vehicles from July 1, 2006.

The label assures new Holden vehicle owners they can use fuel blended with up to 10 per cent ethanol without causing damage or voiding warranty rights.

The announcement follows a commitment by Australia's four domestic manufacturers to label all locally-made vehicles from January 2006.

GM Holden imports the Barina, Viva, Astra, Combo, Tigra and Rodeo models from GM partners. The black and yellow label is designed to be displayed near vehicles' fuel caps to remind vehicle owners of their Holden's E10 compatibility at the petrol bowser.

Holden's decision to include its imported vehicle range supports the Prime Minister's target to achieve 350 megalitres of biofuels consumption by 2010.

GM Holden Executive Director of Engineering, Tony Hyde, said the new labelling program is reflective of Holden's effort to raise awareness and use of E10.

"GM Holden supports efforts to increase the use of E10 petrol, so this is a very simple but effective way to demonstrate that support," Mr Hyde said.

"Certainly, in the short term, a concerted effort will be required to increase the uptake and consumer awareness of E10.

"It is important that consumers are fully aware of the suitability of ethanol for their vehicle. We support efforts to educate consumers so they can make informed choices about ethanol. These labels are an important tool in helping us achieve that goal."

Most Holden vehicles are E10 capable, with the exception of a small number of older models not designed for ethanol compatibility. Holden advises vehicle owners to check the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industry (FCAI) website to ensure E10 is suitable for their vehicle. www.fcai.com.au/ethanol

[Butz]

What about E85? Holden can use some of the NA E85 capable engines, I don't think E10 will make much of difference in oil consumption.

[kenman923]

Aren't they already using fuels that have 10% ethanol?

[jbartley]

Originally Posted by kenman923

Aren't they already using fuels that have 10% ethanol?

DING! And that's part of the reason our fuel prices have jumped, and stayed high over the past few years...

[importedtuna]

Originally Posted by jbartley

DING! And that's part of the reason our fuel prices have jumped, and stayed high over the past few years...

MTBE out, Ethanol in. Its hard to put a pretty face on MTBE. Ethanol is contantly ramping up production, whereas MTBE had its price set by oil companies, I'd guess.

MTBE dangers were known, report claims

When blended with gasoline, MTBE adds oxygen to it, improving air quality by decreasing toxic emissions

March 23, 1999
Web posted at: 2:10 PM EST

The oil industry knew about MTBE threats to drinking water before the controversial gasoline additive was introduced in California, according to an article in the March 16 edition of the Sacramento Bee.

"America's fuel industry knew about the risk to drinking water from MTBE years before domestic refineries more than doubled the chemical's volume in gasoline, but manufacturers marketed the product as an environmental improvement anyway," the newspaper reported.

The Sacramento Bee claims to have technical papers and conference presentations in which environmental engineers for refineries and government regulators predicted that MTBE could become a lingering groundwater menace as its usage increased.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the reports.

"These allegations warrant immediate EPA investigation," Boxer wrote EPA Administrator Carol Browner.

"In response to the allegation that it withheld this information from EPA and other government regulators, industry officials maintain that EPA was well aware of these threats when it gave the industry the regulatory go ahead to use MTBE on a widespread basis," Boxer said.

She noted a recent University of California study estimating that "the costs of cleaning up MTBE-contaminated drinking water will be on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars a year in California alone."

"As we assign responsibility for these huge cleanup costs, we must know whether the fuel industry withheld information which would have led to EPA to disapprove MTBE's use in the first instance," Boxer wrote Browner.

http://www.cnn.com/NATURE/9903/23/mtbe.enn/

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

The problem is all this legislation of "oxygenated fuel" is bull**************** in the first place.