5 Things You Need to Know About Multi-Fuel Vehicles

Multi-Fuel Engines Do Exist

Multi-fuel vehicles - which may include various configurations including flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs), dual-fuel, and bi-fuel vehicles - are typically made to run on conventional gasoline and one or more additional fuels, either liquid or gaseous. To varying degrees, these vehicles have been manufactured since the 1980s.

How a Multi-Fuel Vehicle Works

There are different multi-fuel approaches. A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) allows running on E85 ethanol (an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline mix), gasoline, or any mixture of the two fuels in the same tank. A bi-fuel vehicle typically allows running on either gasoline or diesel and a second fuel, typically natural gas or LPG. An extreme example is provided by the Volvo Multi-Fuel Prototype - unveiled at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum environmental competition in 2006 - that's able to run on five types of fuel. These include hythane (10% hydrogen and 90% methane), compressed natural gas (CNG), biomethane, E85 ethanol, and gasoline. The driver presses a button to select the type of fuel to use, and the engine transitions to the correct blend.

The Benefits of Owning a Multi-Fuel Vehicle

One of the advantages of driving a multi-fuel vehicle is you can choose from several different fuels, depending on what's available and/or more affordable. These vehicles also offer a bridge to the fuels that are being used presently and those that may become more widespread down the line.

Multi-Fuel Vehicles Bring CAFE Credits

When the average fuel economy of a manufacturer's yearly fleet of vehicles produced falls below the standard, the manufacturer is penalized. A federal law dating back to 1988 relaxes the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements via additional credits earned for manufacturing flexible-fuel vehicles, whether or not these vehicles are actually operated on an alternative fuel as intended. Some argue that these vehicles could in some ways decrease efficiency and increase consumption of gasoline in the U.S. However, regardless of the motivation that has encouraged automakers to manufacture them, there are now over 6 million FFVs operating on U.S. highways. This provides an ideal opportunity - and a business case - for establishing a widespread E85 ethanol fueling network and that could lead to a substantial impact on displacing petroleum use.

Gasoline-Only Cars Can Be Converted

Companies in the United States have begun offering kits - such as Abcesso Technology's Auto FFV, XCelPlus' FlexTek, and Flex Fuel USA's Flex-Box Smart Kit - that convert gasoline-only vehicles into flex-fuel vehicles. Typically, they include an electronic component that increases the injected fuel volume per cycle as well as a chemical additive that helps protect the car from engine corrosion. Not all E85 conversion kits have received EPA certification.

Jennifer Olvera, a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, has been writing professionally for over a decade. In addition to covering the "green scene" for publications such as Where Magazine and Crain's, she has become one of the preeminent dining, food, and entertainment writers in Chicago. She has regularly been published in Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Zagat, Citysearch.com, and Gayot.com.