Filling up with bio-ethanol for the first time

November 2, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Today I filled up with bio-ethanol for the first time. Germany’s first bio-ethanol petrol station is located in Bad Homburg and to operate the pump I have a coded key, which allows me to go there at any time of the day, regardless of the opening hours.

For my first visit, however, I decided to go there whilst it was open, just to make sure that there were no problems.

Actually there was a problem – a car had parked on the space in front of the bio-ethanol pump, and I had to wait about 15 minutes until it was moved.

After that I parked there myself, turned the key and filled up the car. As simple as that! Now I have a full tank and can work out for myself how much the car is using. The on-board computer says that I used 13.3litres/100km since I started driving the car, but I don’t know how many litres were in the tank when I got it so I can’t check that figure.

bioethanol_tankstelle.jpg
The first bio-ethanol petrol station in Germany,
located in Bad Homburg

Filed Under: Bio-Ethanol, Cars Tagged With: , ,

Day 4: cruise control and parking

October 18, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Today I had the chance to try out the cruise control on the bio-ethanol Ford Focus. This maybe has less to do with the fuel in the tank, but it is still something that I have always been very wary of.

In fact, I associate it with the signs on the Brussels ring road where it is not allowed!

Anyway, all went fine – although I’m still worried that I have less control over the car whilst using it, even if that’s not really the case.

My route this morning took me over the motorway and the Bad Homburg ring road, and my fuel consumption stayed pretty much the same.

This evening I was in Bad Homburg and parked at the Kurhaus. I was curious as to whether I would smell the ethanol when I stopped the car in the underground car park, but I didn’t notice anything.

I’ve like to try out the petrol station, but there are still around 400km left to do first!

Filed Under: Bio-Ethanol Tagged With: ,

Bio-ethanol – day three

October 17, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Well, sort of day two really as I didn’t go anywhere yesterday.

This morning I went to Frankfurt on the motorway and was able to test the accelaration properly – I am more than impressed and I think it was even smoother and faster than my last car (maybe because the engine is a bit more powerful anyway).

This afternoon I had to go to Friedrichsdorf which took me through the middle of Bad Homburg. Again, apart from being a bit more powerful there I don’t think I could have told that bio-ethanol was in the tank if I didn’t actually know.

I managed to stall a couple of times on the car park, however. As it was 15°C I don’t think this can be down to the cold we had the rest of the week. Maybe it was me being too careful?

I have done just over 100km and that has used about 1/4 of the tank apparently, the board computer tells me that I have 500km left (the tank is currently filled just with E85 bio-ethanol and not yet mixed with normal petrol). This works out at 12l/100km, which is 23.5 mpg (UK) or 19.6 mpg (US). [Here is a useful conversion calculator]

Filed Under: Bio-Ethanol, Cars Tagged With: ,

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