Auto Trader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
And he says Holden is working with US biofuel firm Coskata to develop a plant that manufactures ethanol from grass clippings, wood chips and household rubbish. Coskata already has an agreement with General Motors in America.
Reuss says Coskata makes its bio-fuels by using micro-organisms to break down waste and convert it to ethanol rather than by the more common conversion of food crops.
That’s in line with Holden’s wish to help develop a fuel using ethanol produced from non-edible plants which need 30 percent less water to grow.
Reuss says the E85-fuelled Commodores will be available with V6 and V8 engines and will be more powerful than current petrol versions, because E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petrol, is higher octane.
He says Holden hopes announcing an ethanol-fuelled Commodore will trigger the expansion of ethanol to a countrywide network of filling stations.
Holden plans to reduce its vehicles’ dependence on imported oil by measures that include improving petrol and diesel vehicles’ fuel efficiency, replacing oil with Australian-made alternatives, introducing hybrid petrol-electric vehicles and marketing more LPG-fuelled models like the Commodore Ute pictured.
Reuss deflected questions about rumours that Holden will again market a four-cylinder Commodore. The last Holden four was in the late 1980s VN, though the brand has sold four-cylinder engined Commodore and Statesman models in Asia.
