In the quest to find a greener and cleaner source of energy to power the futures automobiles, many of the worlds manufacturers have turned to electric-assist hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells or even pure electric power. Rather than putting precious dollars into research for a technology that wont be available to the public for several more years to come, Saab has devoted funds towards ethanol fuel, an clean alternative that makes the most of currently technologies.

For 2005, Saab will be offering the option of a flex-fuel 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four motor for its 9-5 FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) luxury car. Vehicles that bear the FFV badge can run on either premium unleaded gasoline, ethanol (E85) fuel, or any percentage blend of the two stored in a single fuel tank. This is a huge step forward from dual-fuel vehicles (natural gas / gasoline), which require separate storage tanks and the use of one combustion fuel at a time.

Ethanol is a truly unique fuel for its impacts on the environmental, engine performance and personal finances. Of the commonly available fuels, including gasoline, diesel and natural gas, it is the only one eligible for tax rebates. Why? It qualifies as a renewable resource. Like the alcohol thats found in alcoholic beverages, ethanol is commercially produced from grain crops.

Also ethanol releases less carbon-based emissions than gasoline, especially greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the primary factors theoretically believed by some camps to be the cause of global warming. Interestingly enough, ethanol is one of the most carbon-neutral fuel sources available to power automobiles, being that the carbon dioxide emitted during the production and consumption of ethanol is almost equal to the amount removed from the atmosphere when the grain crops are grown.

Eco-friendly cars are usually like a double-edged sword. While the power source used may reduce harm to the environment, users usually lose out on performance eliminating driving enjoyment. This reportedly isnt the case with the 9-5 FFV. In its most widely-available E85 form, the 85 percent ethanol/gasoline blend found at many refilling stations, the fuel offers an extraordinarily high RON octane rating of 104. This compares favorably to commercially available gasoline which peaks at an average of 91 RON.

The added kick in E85s octane number allows the small, turbocharged motor to produce 180 horsepower, an improvement of 20 percent over the regular Euro-spec models 150 horsepower output. Saab claims that the extra 30 horses wont come at the expense of fuel consumption either. At low speeds there is unlikely to be any impact of the flex-fuel, however, its a totally different story at higher speeds. During testing runs, the 9-5 EFF posted a welcome 15 percent gain in fuel economy, as fuel-enrichment for motor cooling is no longer necessary when a vehicle is run on ethanol.