Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
Forget dedicated-ethanol engines, I wouldn't hold my breath not even for a return of them to the Brazilian market. When it comes to engine design, I consider the Toyota 8AR-FTS nearly perfect to be turned into a flexfuel engine.
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The perfect engine for a flexfuel vehicle is direct injected and turbocharged. Variable boost on the turbo allows the engine to vary the effective compression ratio based on the blend of ethanol.
So why do flex-fuel vehicles suck so badly in the USA? The answer lies in CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy). Manufacturers in the USA make flex-fuel vehicle to get CAFE credits. The manufacturer gets a 1.2 mpg credit for making vehicle flex-fuel. The fine for not meeting CAFE is $5.50 for every 1/10 of a mpg you miss it by. So a flex-fuel credit is worth $66. In order for it to make sense for a manufacturer to make a flex-fuel vehicle the cost has to be less than $66.