Gasoline Will Continue to Dominate; More Efficient Additives Needed

Picture credit: Ph B on unsplash

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

Ethanol, used in the U.S. in such fuels as E10 and E85 as well as a small percentage in regular gasoline, may produce fewer emissions and comes from a renewable source, namely corn or sugar cane.

That should bode well for its use as an ongoing replacement for gasoline amid climate change pressures. In Brazil, ethanol produced from sugar cane is already widely used both as the dominant product in gasoline and in its pure form as a fuel alone.

But gasoline and diesel will be around for many years to come. And problems with ethanol remain. 

It isn’t generally as fuel-efficient as gasoline, and its availability at gas stations in the U.S. in such fuels as E85 is irregular. Vehicles — so-called flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) — also have to be fitted appropriately to be able to use such fuel.

Such fuel, containing between 51% and 83% ethanol, is only available at approximately 3,500 of the roughly 150,000 fuel stations in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Energy. 

And Not The Most Efficient Additive

Ethanol is also required in large quantities as a fuel additive — up to 100 liters of it for every 1 ton of fuel, according to additive producer startup FuelGems.

The company’s own additive, by contrast, requires only 1 to 5 grams per ton of fuel and reduces fuel consumption, FuelGems says.

FuelGems, backed by Austin, Texas-based venture capital group Sputnik ATX, also completed a crowdfunding campaign in 2020.

It is now involved in various pilot and pre-pilot stage projects with major energy producers such as BP plc BP to test its fuel additive in an operational environment. It also has pilot programs pending with gas station operators.

Greater Numbers of Gasoline-Powered Cars Expected

While the company recognizes the importance of producing clean electricity and more electric-powered vehicles to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and benefit from lower emissions, it also warns that gasoline-fueled cars will be around for a long time to come and could circulate on the world’s roads at greater numbers in 2050, for example, than currently.

With renewable sources of energy relatively slow in coming on board, it makes sense to make gasoline less dirty in the interim. FuelGems’ fuel additive can do that, reducing harmful emissions by almost 50% in the process, it says.

With only small quantities required, increased fuel efficiency and a reduction in emissions, FuelGems’ fuel additive has the potential to treat massive amounts of fuel when integrated by refineries worldwide.

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.