Ethanol Hybrid Car

Ethanol hybrid car was first introduced to the market by Saab in 2006.

Saab, the General Motors Corp's Swedish subsidiary, showcased their ethanol-electric hybrid car at the 2006 Stockholm car show.

The Saab ethanol electric hybrid combines an electric motor with an E85 Ethanol engine.

This is a major step in hybrid car technology, as ethanol, or grain alcohol, is produced by fermenting biomass, usually corn, and is environmentally friendlier than petrol alone.

The ethanol ingredient emits no green house gases in itself, but in E85 mixture, it is used as blended in a mixture of 85 pct ethanol, and 15 pct unleaded petrol, resulting in the E85 name.

The new technology is a result of co-operation between Saab and Swedish Lund Technical University.

To compare the new engine with other types of hybrids, according to Saab, when Prius emits 104 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, the new E85 engine hybrid will emit just 15-20 grams.

According to speculation, the Saab engine, and others, will hit the automotive market globally by 2010.


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