Q. What is/are the advantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles?
1. Reduced dependence on petrol/diesel.
2. Reduces the carbon footprint of vehicles.
3. High Fuel Efficiency.
4. The cost owning the vehicle will be low.
Select the correct answer given below using the code given below:
Advantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles
Reduced dependence on petrol/diesel and thus reduced dependence on oil imports. (Statement 1 is correct)
Ethanol burns more cleanly than conventional petrol, which reduces the car’s carbon footprint. (Statement 2 is correct)
Helps in addressing the problems of surplus food grains (These can be used in making Ethanol).
Fuel is Less costly: Alternative fuel ethanol is Rs 60-62 per litre while petrol costs more than Rs 100 per litre in many parts of the country, so by using ethanol, Indians will save Rs 30-35 per litre.
Disadvantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles
Customer acceptance will be a major challenge since the cost of ownership and running costs are going to be very high compared with 100% petrol vehicles.
Engine damage: Ethanol can also, unfortunately, cause corrosion and damage to the engine, mainly because it absorbs dirt easily.
Flex Fuel Vehicles will cost more as they will require several engineering tweaks to new engines, with corrosion-resistant rubber hoses and pipes. (Statement 4 is incorrect)
Less Fuel Efficiency: Ethanol evaporates faster, so it is much harder to store. It burns better, but it also burns quicker, which means compromised fuel efficiency. However, it has higher octane than petrol and therefore provides increased power and performance. (Statement 3 is incorrect)
