19/08/2004 - New Ethanol FFV for Saab 9-5 Range

A 'flex-fuel' 2.0-liter turbo engine that runs on ethanol, an eco-friendly renewable energy source, is being developed for the Saab 9-5 range and is expected to go on sale next year.

The use of ethanol can attract favourable environmental and business tax concessions because it is produced commercially from grain crops and qualifies as a renewable resource. The Saab 9-5 FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) is now about to enter this market niche with an engine that is programmed to burn ethanol (E85) or gasoline in any mixture.

Unlike gasoline, ethanol gives a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the 'greenhouse' gas thought to contribute to global warming. This is because the amount of CO2 emitted during the production and consumption of ethanol is almost equal to that removed from the atmosphere when crops for conversion are being grown.

Apart from qualifying for tax incentives, the Saab 9-5 flex-fuel engine can give improved fuel consumption under mid to high load conditions. Whilst fuel economy over the official EU city and mixed cycles is unlikely to show an improvement, testing indicates that a useful 15 per cent gain can be expected at higher speeds because fuel enrichment for engine cooling is no longer necessary.

In its Saab turbo application, the high 104 RON octane rating of E85 fuel, the 85 per cent ethanol/gasoline blend most commonly available at filling stations, also produces a significant 20 per cent increase in maximum engine power, up from 150 to 180 bhp.

The adaptability of the Saab Trionic engine management system in the standard 2.0-liter light pressure turbo gasoline engine facilitates re-calibration and programming to accommodate the different ignition timing characteristics and fuel/air mixture requirements of ethanol. The only other significant modifications are the use of ethanol-compatible materials for the fuel tank, fuel lines and connectors.

"The engine management system automatically adjusts for the type of fuel so, if there is no ethanol available, the customer can simply run on gasoline at any time," says Kjell ac Bergström, President and CEO of Saab Automobile Powertrain AB. "Turbocharged engines are particularly well-suited to exploiting the benefits of ethanol and our work with this engine indicates there is a great deal of development potential for this fuel."

The Saab 9-5 flex-fuel engine is scheduled to go into production during 2005.