Japanese makers give ethanol a gander

While Detroit ballyhoos ethanol, Japanese automakers are quietly positioning themselves in case the gasoline alternative becomes more popular.

Nissan just introduced its second flex-fuel vehicle capable of burning either E85 ethanol or gas. Toyota says it is studying “very seriously” whether to ready its first flex-fuel entry. Honda has announced it has found a breakthrough in making ethanol out of plant waste.

For now the three biggest Japanese makers’ efforts are puny compared with the major ethanol campaigns being mounted by General Motors, Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler. Detroit has built nearly all of the 6 million flex-fuel vehicles capable of consuming E85, a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gas. But more flex-fuel vehicle choices from the Japanese likely would encourage the building of more E85 filling stations.

There are now 971 E85-equipped fueling stations nationwide, says the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. The greatest concentration is in the Midwest, close to most of the facilities that distill ethanol from corn.

USA Today