The Brazilian government is considering raising the ethanol content in gasoline from 32% to 35% (E35) to reduce reliance on imports and boost biofuels, but it has sparked debate regarding prices, fuel consumption, and the impact on engines. Technical assessments will determine whether the change is adopted or not.
The policy is an obvious response to the crisis triggered by the war between Iran and the United States, which drove up oil prices and makes inflation an increasingly difficult danger to manage.
Although these test blends are not ready for pumps yet. Gas stations will not sell them until more rules are finished. Even so, some mechanics are already warning drivers.
They say a car built only for gasoline may use more fuel than before. They also expect a shorter driving range. Another concern is that the engine may burn fuel less efficiently if the mix changes.
Older vehicles face the bigger risk. A lot of them still have carburetors. Those systems do not adjust the air to fuel mix on their own. Specialists cited by the Brazilian site G1 say more ethanol may cut engine output and may also speed up wear and rust on carburetor pieces.
Older cars with metal fuel tanks may need to be swapped out too. That is partly due to the stronger ethanol mix. Newer plastic tanks, which show up on many vehicles made since the early 2000s, are often seen as less likely to run into the same issue.
Specialists said the risks could look much like what people already see with the current 32% blend. Still, the harm may be worse.
Engines made for ethanol or flex-fuel use are built with higher compression. They also run at heat levels that fit ethanol burning better. Gas-only engines are not set up for that same kind of operation.
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