Volvo Cars to Offer Flexifuel Models

By Evander Klum

Catalytic converters like the International catalytic converter have played major roles in reducing carbon dioxide emission. However automakers did not stop there they continued developing new technologies that will further eliminate, if not reduce the emission of harmful gas.
And speaking of new technologies, Volvo Cars will introduce in the first half of 2008 its five-cylinder 2.5 liter turbocharged Flexifuel engine that produces 200hp. The new Flexifuel engine particularly a 2-liter variant is to be equipped on the V70 and the S80.

Five Volvo models namely C30, S40, V50, V70, and S80 are to be equipped with one or two Flexifuel engines. According to Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Brand, Business and Product Strategy at Volvo Cars, "Flexifuel has considerable potential in larger models too. That is why we plan to continuously expand the implementation of this technology over the coming years. It's a move that is being driven by the extended availability of biofuels throughout Europe. Biofuel standardisation and guidelines for sustainable production within the EU would make the fuel's development even smoother."

The Felxifuel variants for the V70 and S80 will be made available by the end of 2007 equipped with a four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. The 2.0F has been altered to run on E85 and to produce 145hp and 185 Nm of torque.

For the S40, V50, and C30 Flexifuel variants, they will be given a four-cylinder 1.8 liter naturally aspirated engine. The 1.8F will produce 125hp and 165 Nm of torque.

There were modifications made on the five Volvo models in order to make them E85 capable. Like for instance, their fuel hoses together with the valves and gaskets have been altered to withstand ethanol’s corrosive properties. The injection valves have been toughened and designed for E85. Likewise, the on-board software was also calibrated for E85. The engine management system also automatically senses the current mixture of fuel in the tank and basing on that will employ the necessary combustion process.

The fuel consumption when running on E85 is 10.31/100km (for the C30 1.8F), 10..41/100km (for the S40 1.8F and V50 1.8F), 11.61/100km (for V70 2.0F beginning figure), 11.31/100km (S80 2.0F beginning figure).

Bioethanol is a renewable fuel that comes from biomass sources such as wheat, corn, sugar-beet, and cellulose. The usage of E85 orthe combination of bioethanol with 15 percent petrol doesn’t mean that there won’t be anymore carbon dioxide emission. There would still be CO2 emission but the type that is regarded as part of nature’s own carbon cycle.

Volvo Cars is planning to launch its Flexifuel cars in a number of markets including Sweden, France, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Spain, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, and Switzerland. The Swedish automaker is also planning to make its Flexifuel cars available to countries across Europe.

Volvo is hoping to sell around 10,000 of its Flexfuel cars for this year.