21/09/2005 - Avis backs Saab BioPower with 400 car fleet

Car rental giant Avis is the first customer in Sweden to take delivery of Swedish premium brand Saab's new 'eco-friendly' 9-5 2.0t BioPower model, which cuts fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by running on bioethanol.

The delivery of the first batch of 200 cars was completed in August and Avis is to purchase a further 200 BioPowers in the autumn. The Avis cars are part of growing 2,500-strong BioPower order intake from Saab dealers in Sweden as customers queue up to enjoy the benefits of the new model.

Saab is leading the premium segment by offering a car that runs on bioethanol, a renewable fuel produced in Sweden and other countries from agricultural crops and forest by-products. Unlike petrol, the consumption of bioethanol does not raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, which research suggests is the 'greenhouse gas' that contributes to global warming. This is because the emissions released during driving are balanced by the amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere when crops are grown for conversion to bioethanol.

Avis says that it was especially attracted by the user practicality of the 9-5 BioPower model, because it can also run on petrol, or any mixture of bioethanol and petrol up to a blend of 85 per cent, without adjustment. While the availability of E85 fuel (85 per cent ethanol/15 per cent petrol) at filling stations throughout Sweden is already widespread, the flexibility of the Saab 9-5 BioPower means that customers can still fill up with petrol if necessary.

The development of this engine also says a lot about the values of the Saab brand because the driver can enjoy having 20 per cent more engine power when using E85, as well as being kinder to the environment.

The E85 fuel for the Saab BioPower is currently 40% cheaper at the pumps than petrol is a major financial benefit for our customers. All Saab 9-5 BioPower users are also exempt from paying Swedish city congestion charges.

Operating a fleet of Saab 9-5 BioPower Saloon and Estate cars will also help Avis meet its ISO 14001 environmental standards, a requirement shared by many of the companies who employ Avis customers.