Saab biopower featured on UK TV

in article snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com, Pooh Bear at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 25/10/2005 05:48:

Yeah, that part was just "offal" :)

Although certainly no more harmful than a tanker full of crude oil, I did wonder what the environmental impact of shipping is ... Not to mention the environmental risk of that ship failing at sea.

What astounded me was that Sweden as a nation had pledged to replace something like 2% (or was it 3%) of oil usage with alternative fuel sources by the end of next year, compared to 0.2% by the UK. Shameful!

The figure of something like 5.75% by then end of 2007 was also cited and the programme noted that kommunes such as Lidköping had already achieved that target.

The reporter driving the E85 powered 9-5 gave, what I thought was, an underwhelming report. He said it was "nice to drive", which gave the impression that it was still sub-petrol feeling/performance. Perhaps he meant there was no difference, or no degraded performance, but it dodn't come across that way. SAAB found that a standard 150 BHP 9-5 when fuelled with E85 returned 180 BHP and better fuel economy in both urban and extra-urban conditions. The urban condition is the clincher, since that's where pollution is most concentrated.

That the Bio-power 9-5 comes on sale here in the UK next year was also not mentioned, nor was it clarified that the Bio-power 9-5 will run on 100% petrol through to 15% (85% ethanol) without issue. Not a great job of clearing up the FUD surrounding alternative fuel sources, IMO, but an interesting and shaming documentary (for some nations) nevertheless.

Paul

It doesn't astound me at all. Where's the incentive? Fuel tax on petrol is rather a major source of income for HMG.

I wish they'd put a huge tax on fireworks instead.

Is there anywhere you could fill up?

David.

Unfortunately we don't do sensible things like that.