VOLVO THAT RUNS ON 5 DIFFERENT FUELS

VOLVO THAT RUNS ON 5 DIFFERENT FUELS

Lately there has been a lot of press regarding alternative fuels—gasoline versus E85, natural gas, etc. But one car maker has developed a concept vehicle that actually has the capability to run on five different fuels. Reported in a recent BusinessWeek article, Volvo has developed a prototype car, dubbed the “Multi-Fuel,†that can run on any one of these five fuels: gasoline, E85, biomethane, natural gas (CNG), and hythane (10% hydrogen and 90% methane).

The Volvo Multi-Fuel prototype not only runs clean but also performs well, which earned the car several awards at the Michelin Challenge Binendum in Paris. The vehicle produces 200 bhp from its five-cylinder 2.0-liter engine, which will push the car from 0 – 62mph in 8.7 seconds. The car uses two fuel tanks: one for E85 or gasoline and one for hythane, biomethane or CNG. The engine automatically adjusts itself to the right blend of gaseous or liquid fuels, and the driver would simply press a button to switch between fuels. And as far as being clean, the two catalysts involved in reducing the emissions of prototype car could qualify it as a PZEV/SULEV in the U.S. market.

Volvo believes that no one alternative fuel will replace current fossil fuels. Due to differing local conditions in markets around the world, different markets may need different alternative fuels, says Volvo. Because of this, Volvo says that they have developed a car that can be powered by any of the five energy sources available anywhere in the world.

Automakers often use concept cars to test new technologies that may one day make their way into production cars. If the engine used in Volvo’s prototype becomes used in production vehicle, it could change the way we look at alternative fuels.

Source: “One Car That Runs On Five Fuels,†www.businessweek.com