Is Al Costa pulling our leg? The CEO of Delaware-based Alkol Inc. says he has a system that will convert your car to run on E85 in about an hour.
“Flexing” your vehicle with the Alkol conversion system will allow you to use one of those high-ethanol pumps, which contain a mix of 85 percent ethanol, as opposed to the normal 10 percent mix in conventional gasoline. You won’t need a brand new shiny vehicle with one of those “Flex Fuel” badges either.
How does it work? Does it work? Is it like one of those quick-fix radiator sealer bottles that high school kids used to pour into their old jalopies?
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Costa says the secret is technology from Brazil, where half of the cars have been running on pure ethanol for a few decades. His company has been using the system to convert cars in Brazil for about 15 years, and is seeking $2 million in capital to implement the technology in the U.S., Costa tells the Cleantech Group.
The system, called 1HourFlex, involves installing a conversion unit, which alters the way alcohol is injected into the combustion chamber; an ignition remapper, which alters how the spark plugs are fired; and a small external fuel tank, for cold starts.
Costa says Alkol is in “stealth mode” for now, but he’s planning to open distribution outlets soon in the U.S., where corn is king when it comes to making ethanol. Brazil relies on sugar cane.
Some disclaimers: Your vehicle has to have less than 100,000 miles and be built before 1994 (there goes my truck), due to carbon buildup in older engines.
The systems are due to sell for about $900, according to Biofuels Digest.
More info on Alkol’s plans may come out when company officials speak at a Biofuels Markets Mexico & Central America event in Mexico City in Oct. 7 and a Global China Business Meeting in Lisbon on Nov. 14, Costa says.
(Image Credits: Courtesy of Alkol).
