Alcohol-powered Focus arrives
05 September 2005
The first bioethanol powered Ford Focus has arrived in the UK for testing, ahead of a special project to be launched next year.
The first bioethanol powered Ford Focus has arrived in the UK for testing, ahead of a special project to be launched next year.
Ford plans to introduce 40 Focus Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) in March to members of the Somerset Biofuel Project.
Comprising Somerset County Council, Avon and Somerset Police and Wessex Water, Ford's project is planned to stimulate interest in the new environmentally friendly Focus. It is the first manufacturer to offer a bio-fuel vehicle in the UK.
Buyers can order an FFV through any Ford dealership in the UK – however the only filling stations with bio-fuel are currently located in Somerset as part of the trial.
With a list price of £14,095, the 1.8-litre FFV can run on regular petrol, as well as bioethanol, and it drives identically to a conventional Focus.
The 1.8 FFV engine produces only 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted by its petrol equivalent. This figure takes into account the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the wheat crops used to produce the bioethanol as they grow.
Drivers who use bioethanol currently pay 20% less fuel tax than for petrol and diesel, and it is thought that the Government may introduce new car-tax grades to make the cars more attractive to company drivers.
The alcohol-powered Focus models could be well timed because fuel prices have recently risen to an average of nearly £4 a gallon in the UK. According to a recent survey by Sainsbury’s Bank, the average fuel bill is now £1105 a year.
In Sweden, 80% of Ford Focus models are FFVs.
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