Re: Why is the supply of E85 fuel so tightly controlled?

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:

>Saab C900 Viggenist wrote:

>> Last night I met up with the person who has the very first 2008-built
MY08
>> Saab 9-3 BioPower car sold in Australia. That car has the capability to
run
>> on ethanol blend fuels up to 85 percent ethanol (aka E85), however I
was
>> very amazed when he was telling about how E85 can't be purchased from
the
>> small number of outlets that stock it around Australia without
'registering'
>> on a federal government database, and service stations that do have it
will
>> deliberately lie when you ask them about it if your vehicle is not
>> registered in this database!

>Perhaps you can provide some evidence of this ?

Of the 'database'? The owner of the bio-power 9-3 had a phone call
directly
from someone who's a techincal expert from Brazil brought to Australia by
Manildra to help set up the process of producing E85 fuel.

He arranged with the person who owns the car in question to register them
on
the database and now he can legally buy E85 from any Australian outlet
that
stocks it. The guy from Brazil is living somewhere close to where the
owner
of the bio-power 9-3 lives on the northern beaches area. Seeing as it's
the
very first 08-buily my08 bio-power 9-3 to be sold in Australia, it's
currently a unique vehicle! 

I didn't know E85 was even available in Australia yet, but clearly it is.
Why it's not legal to buy without 'approval' is still a mystery. I believe
it's due to the excise issue. I bet once more manufacturers start making
cars that run on high-pro****tional ethanol fuels things will change (and
the
price of ethanol fuel blends will rise).

Craig.
-- 
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.au
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