Oh, the wonders of ethanol! The magical fuel that’s supposed to save the world, one cornfield at a time. Stellantis, the world’s largest carmaker, operating under 14 brands, including Fiat, Peugeot, and Jeep, is investing a whopping $6 billion into South America to develop engines that can run on both gasoline and ethanol. Because what’s better than one inefficient fuel source? Two inefficient fuel sources! Let’s burn through our food crops with ethanol and drain our power grid with electric battery power, all at once!
Stellantis proudly announced its investment plan to create “Bio-Hybrid” technologies that combine electric and ethanol power. These flex-fuel engines can switch between gasoline and ethanol at will. Fantastic, right? Now we can burn through both fossil fuels and food crops simultaneously. Brazil, the source of much of this ethanol, must be thrilled. After all, who wouldn’t want his agricultural produce turned into car fuel instead of food?
Ethanol is hailed as an environmentally friendly fuel because it supposedly generates less carbon during combustion. Ask any mechanic which fuel provides more engine power: ethanol or gasoline. And let’s not forget the inconvenient truth: producing ethanol requires massive amounts of water, land, and energy. Some experts argue that when you factor in the entire production process, ethanol may actually consume more natural resources than petroleum. But who cares about the details when we’re saving the planet?
Stellantis’s grand plan includes several types of Bio-Hybrid engines. There’s the standard Bio-Hybrid, integrating a gas engine with electric drive. Then we have the Bio-Hybrid eDCT, with an electric dual clutch. And let’s not forget the Bio-Hybrid Plug-In, which can be recharged from the mains. Because nothing says efficiency like plugging your car into the same power grid that’s already stretched to its limits. And we must not overlook the “electric elephant” in the room: the exponentially accelerating thirst for more electricity required to power all the massive A.I. data centers.
But wait, there’s more! Ethanol is being touted as the answer to our energy prayers, overshadowing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs). It’s a breakthrough, they say. Yet despite all the hype, ethanol still faces the same old criticism. It’s a resource hog. It diverts crops from food production, sending food prices sky-high. So what good is it to have an “efficient” car when you can't afford to drive it to the grocery store since you can’t afford a $10 loaf of bread?
Meanwhile, in the realm of genuinely innovative solutions, we have thorium salt reactors. These reactors are highly efficient and safe, offering a truly sustainable energy source. But of course, they don’t get nearly as much attention. Why? Because there’s no political agenda to push with thorium. It’s just a boring, practical solution that doesn’t fit the narrative.
It’s time we take the politics out of the equation. Let’s focus on finding the best, safest, and most cost-effective energy solutions without “woke” fear-mongering and gross misrepresentation. Ethanol may have its uses, but let’s not pretend it’s the silver bullet for our energy needs. If we’re serious about sustainability, we need to look beyond the politically convenient options and embrace the technologies that can genuinely make a difference. Too bad this logic wasn’t embraced by the world’s biggest automaker before it made what may be the world’s biggest blunder.
Image via Picryl.