Bioethanol E85

Early in 2008 ZEN decided that the smart way forward was to run the car on Bioethanol E85 and after development and testing, the Impreza successfully ran on 100% E85 for the Oulton Park and Brands Hatch rounds of Time Attack and the team has not looked back since.

E85 contains up to 85% bioethanol by volume and not only runs cooler with lower toxicity and harmful emissions than conventional race fuels, but also imposes a far lower carbon footprint on the atmosphere. This is because the CO2 emitted during E85’s combustion can be subsequently ‘recaptured’ as a nutrient by the crops used in its production.

By using bioethanol, Team ZEN have experienced a host of benefits: increased horsepower; cooler running temperatures; decreased knock; less plug fouling. It is also a much more pleasant fuel to deal with, producing much more tolerable exhaust gas.

In using bioethanol E85, Team ZEN have been awarded ‘campaign partner’ status by EEMS. The Energy Efficient Motorsport Programme (EEMS) is a Government programme whose vision is to work with the UK motorsport industry to put energy efficiency at the heart of modern motorsport by stimulating the use of sustainable technologies and fuels. At every level of the industry, there are organisations which are actively embracing energy efficiency as part of their motorsport activities. Through the EEMS Campaign Partner Initiative, these organisations have, for the first time, the opportunity to demonstrate their pro-active commitment towards energy efficiency.

For more details on Bioethanol E85, please consult the EEMS factsheet ‘Bioethanol in Motorsport’, of which an abridged version is reproduced below.

What is bioethanol?

Bioethanol is an alcohol produced by the fermentation and subsequent distillation of natural sugars found in carbohydrates for use as a combustible fuel with a lower water content differentiating it from normal alcohol. Bioethanol can also be produced by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.

The main sources of the sugar to produce bioethanol come at present from crops such as corn, maize, wheat, waste straw and, in the UK, sugar beet. Bioethanol may also be produced from biomass (such as wood or straw) using the hydrolysis and sugar fermentation processes.

Sustainability

Bioethanol that is sustainably sourced and produced and used correctly may have less environmental impact than traditional petrol as it is produced from renewable resources and has lower emissions.

Unlike fossil fuels which release fossil carbon in the form of C02, biofuels release C02 which has been absorbed from the atmosphere by their plant raw materials as they grow, creating a closed loop carbon cycle.

Bioethanol is sold in the UK from a small but growing number of forecourts and is available as a blended product; 95% petrol blended with 5% bioethanol is known as E5 and 85% bioethanol blended with 15% petrol is known as E85.

What are the benefits of using bioethanol?

Bioethanol is a clear colourless liquid, with a non offensive aroma; it is biodegradable, low in toxicity and causes little environmental impact if spilt.

Blending bioethanol with petrol oxygenates the fuel mixture so that it burns more completely at higher temperatures reducing polluting emissions by up to 30% in E85 form. Even a small amount of bioethanol will greatly reduce emissions and improve the combustion qualities of a petrol fuel blend.

Bioethanol has a higher octane rating than petrol at 104 RON compared to 95 RON for petrol and is especially well suited to high compression turbocharged engines. Bioethanol’s main draw in motorsport is the performance gain from this clean burning fuel.