Ford Focus Flexible Fuel Vehicle 1.8-litre 5dr Full Review
Posted: 22 September 2007 by SmartPlanet
The Ford Focus Flexi Fuel Vehicle (FFV) runs on both petrol and bioethanol -- a fuel often considered much cleaner than fossil fuels because the plants used to make it suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during the growing process. The 1.8-litre FFV engine, however, is not that kind to the atmosphere, however, emitting 169g/km of carbon dioxide -- that's relatively high for a small family hatchback.
The Focus FFV is not that economical either. Official combined figures say you'll get 40.3mpg but during our test the car's trip computer told us that we averaged no more than 28mpg. Then there's the problem with fuel supply, because there are only a handful of filling stations that stock E85 (a blend of 85 per cent bioethanol and 15 per cent petrol) in the UK.
There's also the controversy surrounding biofuels' overall eco impact. So how green is bioethanol? According to a Science-published report, the sugar-based version of the fuel produces less than 50 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions of petrol, but has a negligble but slightly worse overall environmental impact.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for supply at least, as British Sugar has opened a plant in Norfolk to turn an annual 110,000 tonnes of sugar beet into fuel. The facility is capable of producing around 15 million gallons of bioethanol so we may see many more filling stations stocking it in the future.
Britain's first bioethanol production plant in Wissington, Norfolk
On the surface, the FFV Focus appears to be the best eco-friendly hatchback, but you might want to sit tight and wait for Ford's new Econetic Focus, which will be available in spring. The Econetic range will be extended to the larger Mondeo and the new Fiesta later in 2008, and the idea is to appeal to car-buyers who want to cut their road tax bill, improve fuel economy and do their bit for the environment. Continue reading...
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