Environment: Green impact drives progress

BRIAN EARLY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Some flex-fuel vehicles are compatible with 85 per cent ethanol fuel and 15 per cent gasoline. But the E85 fuel is rare in Ontario.

Jil McIntosh

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Because of environmental concerns, every aspect of a vehicle's construction and lifespan must now be measured, in ways that were seldom a consideration in decades past.

Parts should be strong but lightweight, easily recycled, and contain recycled or renewable materials if possible. Even the plants where they're built are under scrutiny, as automakers try to save money and meet environmental standards at every step of the way.

In some cases, environmental technologies are fairly new, such as engine management for plant-based fuels, while others are modifications to existing components, such as substituting electric systems for conventional air conditioning or power steering systems.

But sometimes it's a major breakthrough, such as a gas-electric hybrid car. More often though, it's a series of minor improvements that shave off a few grams of weight or add some recycled materials, all of which gradually add up.

PZEV emissions control

Pronounced "Pee-zev," it stands for Partial Zero Emission Vehicle, a technology currently available on the Subaru Legacy and Outback.

The name indicates a vehicle that meets the strict emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board. This involves not only meeting Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) standards, as many Canadian-market vehicles do, but in addition, a PZEV cannot have any evaporative emissions escaping from its fuel system. These emissions, consisting of unburned gasoline, can seep through the vehicle's intake system once the engine is shut off.

PZEVs aren't inherently more fuel-efficient, but they have up to 90 per cent cleaner emissions than an average non-PZEV model.

Four components work together to achieve PZEV status. A charcoal filter captures unburned fuel, while special fuel injectors close tightly to prevent fuel emissions from escaping. All new vehicles use a catalytic converter in the exhaust, which contains mesh impregnated with precious metals that reduce the noxious elements, but the special PZEV converter contains more mesh and is more effective.

Finally, since the converter works most efficiently when it's hot, the PZEV's engine controller is programmed to maximize hot exhaust on start-up, which heats the converter faster.

Despite the advantages – it's claimed that, in extremely smoggy areas, the air coming out the tailpipe can be cleaner than what's going into the engine – there is a downside to PZEV. If you ever need to replace the catalytic converter, it's considerably more expensive, and if you substitute a cheaper conventional one, a dealer will have to reprogram the computer system to accommodate it.

Electric power steering

Few inventions made driving more pleasant than power steering, which eliminated the muscle needed to turn the front wheels, especially at low speeds.

Conventional power steering uses a fluid-filled hydraulic pump, which works very well, but which is powered by the engine. This means that energy that could otherwise be used for propulsion is used to power the pump, and the engine uses more fuel.

A modern solution is electric steering, which uses an electric motor instead of a hydraulic pump for power assist. Since the electric motor only runs when assist is needed – unlike a hydraulic pump that draws power from the engine all the time – the car uses less fuel. Electric steering is also more environmentally friendly because it doesn't require hydraulic fluid, which is usually petroleum-based.

One problem with electric steering is that it can feel artificial; hydraulic steering has a more "organic" feel that sports-car drivers prefer.

A new compromise is hydro-electric steering, which uses a fluid-filled pump that's run by an electric motor, providing hydraulic feel without burdening the car's engine.

Flexible-fuel capability

Several new vehicles are advertised as "flex-fuel capable" or "E85 compatible," although E85 fuel is very difficult to find in Canada.

Flexible fuel contains ethanol, an alcohol fuel that can be made from several organic sources; in Canada, it's most likely to be corn. Regular-grade gasoline in Ontario contains a minimum of 5 per cent ethanol, which works fine in all new cars rated for 87-grade fuel. That's not the case with E85, which consists of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline.

If you should find a station selling it, don't try it if your vehicle is not rated for it. Ethanol doesn't contain as much energy as gasoline, and E85-compatible cars are specifically programmed to run properly on it.

In a non-compatible car, E85 could also potentially damage rubber seals or the fuel pump.

Flex-fuel compatibility doesn't add to the price tag, so if an automaker equips a model with it, that's what you get: it's not an add-on option.

However, your new flex-fuel model will run just fine on gasoline, on E85, or any mixture of the two.

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