A 1.8. Can ethanol be used alone as fuel?
Brazil has been the worlds major laboratory for the use of ethanol as a fuel, and more than 5 million vehicles designed to run exclusively on ethanol have been manufactured in the country. Although ethanol has a lower energy content than straight gasoline (approximately 65 percent), it has several technical characteristics that make it perfectly suited for use as a fuel and partially make up for that lower energy content, such as the fuels high octane rating. In practice, vehicles that run exclusively on ethanol display a better performance (greater power and torque) and a longer service life than the gasoline-fueled equivalents. On the other hand, consumption increases by 20 to 30 percent in volume, depending on the characteristics of the vehicle. Compared to fossil fuels, ethanol provides more environmental benefits because the fuel vapors and gas emissions from the exhaust are less toxic, and also because the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from production and use of the
