Chrysler Motors and Ford Motor

Company plan to build and sell

flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that

run on gasoline or as much as 

85% ethanol (E85). Chrysler will

make its 3.3-liter Town & Country

E85 minivan available this fall;

Ford plans to offer its 3.0-liter E85

Ranger pickup in model year (MY)

1999. Each will be the first production

vehicle from its respective

manufacturer to include the flexible

fuel system as standard equipment.

Until now, prospective buyers had

to specifically request an FFV.

Chrysler’s announcement

reflects the largest production of any

type of alternative fuel vehicle (AFV)

in any model year, by any 

manufacturer, according to Eric

Vaughn, executive director of the

Renewable Fuels Association.

Chrysler plans to introduce “more

than 150,000 FFVs during the first

year alone,” he said. The V-6 engines

will include an upgraded fuel system

that allows the FFV to operate on

any mixture of gasoline and ethanol.

Power and torque ratings are 

identical to those of the gasoline

version. The E85 minivans will 

be built at Chrysler’s Windsor

(Ontario, Canada), and St. Louis,

Missouri, assembly plants. 

Ford will equip 50,000–60,000

Rangers with flexible fuel systems

in MY 1999. Ford stated it will be

able to manufacture 250,000 Ranger

FFVs between 1999 and 2002, but it

would not speculate on production

numbers for the final 3 years of the

4-year program.

“We will gradually insert [the

FFV Ranger] into the marketplace,”

said Sara Tatchio, spokesperson at

Ford. “We want to develop our FFV

sales to not only match, but help

develop and increase the refueling

infrastructure needed to keep

these vehicles running on ethanol.

Flooding the nation with Ranger

FFVs before the E85 infrastructure

can support them will increase the

vehicles’ chances of being powered

by gasoline only.” (See box at the

end of this article.)

Similar to Ford’s E85 Taurus

and Windstar, engine parts with

material upgrades on the Ranger FFV 

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing 

at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste

Repor t on U .S. Depar tment of Ener gy Biofuels T echnology

Volume Five • Issue 3 Summer 1997

Chrysler and Ford Add More Vehicles to the 

Flexible Fuel Lineup

See ”Vehicles” on page 2

Ford Ranger E85 pickup truck and Chrysler E85 Town & Country minivan.
Summer 1997

Biofuels UPDATE 2

Colloquies Examine Status of

Enzymatic Cellulosic Conversion

The availability of cost-effective

cellulase enzymes to support the

creation of an economically feasible

biomass-to-ethanol industry was

the focus of a series of discussions

among engineers, scientists, ethanol

plant managers, business managers,

and potential processors this spring.

The meetings, or colloquies, were

part of an assessment of the 

availability of cellulase preparations

used for bioethanol production.

Cellulases are specialized enzymes

used to break down the cellulose in

biomass to glucose (sugar), and

thus comprise an essential element

of an enzymatic hydrolysis ethanol

production process. The cellulase

preparations needed to convert

lignocellulosic biomass, whether

waste materials, forest residue,

corn stover, or switchgrass, can cost

10 to 30 times more than enzymes

used for corn-starch based ethanol

production.

“The idea of the colloquies

was to have a multidisciplinary 

discussion of cellulase enzyme

availability and cost that would

involve enzyme suppliers, potential

ethanol producers, academic experts,

and various industrial concerns to

evaluate the current situation,”

said David Glassner, technology

manager for the Biofuels Program

at the National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL). As part of this

effort, NREL is developing a 

technical strategy to reduce the costs

of cellulase enzyme production.

The attendees agreed more

work was needed to understand

the current national cellulase market. “To date, no thorough market

analysis has been done on the

associated costs of applying cellulase to various biomass market

segments of cellulosic ethanol 

production,” said Jim Hettenhaus,

a consultant from Chief Executive

Assistance. The economics of 

cellulase and ethanol production

have been studied extensively by

NREL and some companies, but

not from the perspective of the

enzyme producers. Before we can

develop a market-driven industry, we must first find 

companies that are willing to 

produce the special enzymes needed

to convert cellulose to glucose,”

said Hettenhaus.

“Research on availability and

cost of several biomass materials,

including sawdust, forest thinnings,

and solid waste from paper, is still

incomplete,” said Glassner. “The

results of extensive research by

select private companies are not

public knowledge.” Aside from

the economic barriers, cellulase

enzyme production is a technical

challenge. The cellulase-producing

fermentation process is complex,

more so if a producer attempts to

manufacture the enzymes in a

plant constructed for ethanol production, according to Glassner.

Participants agreed that producing

enzymes on-site at bioethanol plants

is one way to reduce their costs.

The meetings were successful,

partly because they helped establish

a consensus on the technical and 

economic status of the biomass

industry. Glassner said, “Today,

there is no clear-cut answer to the

most cost-effective way to produce

the enzymes needed. That is why

these colloquies, and a continued

communication between everyone

in the biofuels industry, are so vital

to achieving market feasibility and

wide-scale production.” Attendees

understood the economic barriers

to cellulosic biomass conversion,

See ”Colloquies” on page 3

Did You Know?

The Ford Taurus is the bestselling AFV on the market

today. From 1992 to 1996,

Ford sold more than 5,200

Taurus FFVs, and that total

has nearly been matched in

1997 alone. Ford plans to

increase the number of 

E85 Taurus FFVs available in

MY 1998.

Recently Opened

E85 Stations

• Colorado Springs and 

Denver, CO

• Chicago, Peoria, and

Rock Island, IL

• Lansing and Detroit, MI 

• Blue Earth, Fairmont, 

Mankato, and St. James, MN

For a complete list of E85

refueling stations in the

United States, contact the

National Alternative Fuels

Hotline at 800.423.1363 or 

hotline@motorfuels.com.

include fuel pump, fuel rails, fuel

injectors, fuel lines, and filler pipe.

The package also includes an 

electronic engine control module

to calibrate engine response to

varying fuel mixtures of gasoline

and ethanol. The 2.3-liter V4 and

four-wheel drive versions of the

compact pickup will not have 

flexible fuel capabilities.

“We believe the Ranger FFV

will be instrumental in turning AFVs

into mainstream automobiles. A

consumer who wants to purchase

the FFV Ranger just has to ask for

the 3.0-liter V6. With the Taurus, a

prospective buyer had to ask for the

FFV option,” said Tatchio.

Vehicles (continued from page 1)
3 Biofuels UPDATE

Summer 1997

Regional Biomass Energy 

Program Updates

Northeastern Region

The Northeast Regional Biomass

Program (NRBP), Twin Rivers

Technologies, New England Power,

and Engelhard Inc., have teamed up

to measure specific pollutant levels

in a large diesel engine. The group

will use petroleum-based diesel,

diesel mixed with soy-based biodiesel

(in 5%–20% blends), and blends that

use a catalyst to determine the cleanest way to power their engine. The

engine is equivalent to those that

power diesel locomotives. NRBP’s

role is to ensure quality control of

the tests administered by the other

three organizations.

Great Lakes Region

The Automotive Engineering

Technology Department at

Minnesota’s Mankato State University

recently completed a study that

compares the characteristics of

compatibility, exhaust gas emissions,

opacity, horsepower, and fuel 

economy of various blends and

concentrations of petroleum-based

diesel, biodiesel, and ethanol. It was

designed to identify mixtures most

beneficial to the environment and to

the engine that uses the mixtures.

Findings include:

• Carbon monoxide emissions 

were reduced more than 47% on 

biodiesel blends and as much as 

90% with ethanol blends during 

wide open throttle conditions

• The largest reduction in hydro

carbon emissions occurred during

wide open throttle conditions

• Emissions of oxides of nitrogen 

were greatly reduced with 

biodiesel, diesel, and ethanol 

blends during wide open throttle

conditions. 

To obtain a copy of this study,

contact Fred Kuzel, Great Lakes

Regional Biomass Program,

312.407.0177.

Northwestern Region

The Northwestern Region is

conducting a three-phase, 200,000-

mile operational demonstration that

uses a Caterpillar engine and

Kenworth truck fueled by biodiesel

and petroleum-based diesel in 

NREL Appoints New

Biofuels Technology

Manager

In January of this year, David

Glassner was appointed program

manager in the Technology

Management Center at NREL.

He has worked in the bioprocessing industry for more

than a decade, and is now the

key liaison between NREL’s

biofuels program and DOE’s

Office of Fuels Development. In

this position, Glassner leads

and manages biofuels program

activities for DOE. He allocates

resources for various projects to

achieve DOE goals, establishes

specific objectives that lead to

the achievement of DOE goals,

and monitors progress toward

these objectives.

but the colloquies “gave the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE) an

opportunity to talk with our 

customers, receive feedback

regarding their perspectives, and

most importantly, helped DOE

direct program efforts in the most

effective way,” said Valerie

Sarisky-Reed, of DOE's Office of

Fuels Development. NREL and

DOE will continue to work on

stimulating the availability of

cost-effective cellulase enzyme.

Cellulase Technology Research

Economic, highly effective biocatalysts (enzymes) are key to 

converting biomass to ethanol at a high yield. Scientists at the National

Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are collaborating with industry

and academic researchers to create cellulase systems that break down

(hydrolyze) the crystalline structure of cellulosic biomass. This process

is essential for converting biomass to sugars that can then be fermented

into high-grade ethanol.

The ideal cellulase complex must be highly active on the intended

biomass feedstock, able to completely hydrolyze the biomass, operate

well at mildly acidic pH, withstand process stress, and be cost effective.

The ability to construct such cellulase systems in anticipation of 

specific industrial requirements is key to the successful commercialization of bioethanol and other renewable-based products. Using standard

and novel methods to compare new cellulase enzyme systems, the

goal of the NREL researchers is to develop optimal, use-specific, artificial

cellulase systems, produced economically on an industrial scale.

For more information on all biofuels-related projects at NREL,

visit its biofuels web site (www.biofuels.nrel.gov).

See ”Updates” on page 4

Colloquies (continued from page 2)
Biofuels News of the Alternative Fuels Data Center

T OF ENERGY

DEPARTMEN

U

E

N ITED STAT S OFA

ERICA

M

Biofuels UPDATE 4

NREL/BR-420-23255 Produced for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a DOE 

national laboratory. For more information, contact the National Alternative Fuels Hotline at 800.423.1DOE.

BIOFUELS PROGRAM

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

1617 Cole Blvd • Golden, CO 80401-3393

Bulk Rate

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 258

Golden, Colorado

50% blends. Emissions, performance,

and over-the-road testing will be

conducted during the entire program,

and the engine will be inspected at the

program’s completion. Cooperators

and participants in the program

include DOE; Caterpillar, Inc; Western

States Caterpillar; University of Idaho;

JR Simplot Co.; Kenworth Truck

Company; University of California,

Idaho Department of Natural

Resources; and the Coalition of

Northeast Governors, Northeast

Regional Energy Biomass Program.

The program demonstration is

scheduled to begin in early fall.

Western Region

The Western Regional Biomass

Energy Program (WRBEP) added one

biomass-testing program in 1997.

Titled Tallow Based Biodiesel Test at

the Kansas City Area Transit Authority,

the initiative will compare the effect

of tallow use on engine metals.

Kansas City will power four urban

buses on 20/80 tallow/diesel blended

fuel. Four other buses that run on

petroleum-based diesel will be

monitored and compared with those

that run on biodiesel blends.

Participants include:

• WRBEP (sponsoring agency)

• MARC-IV

• National Biodiesel Board

• University of Nebraska. 

WRBEP is providing $89,896,

and the Fats and Protein Research

Center and the Kansas Value-Added

Center are providing $5,000 each. The

Excel Corporation donated the tallow.

Southeastern Region

Ongoing biomass-related 

projects in the region include:

• A region-wide assessment of 

potential biodiesel feedstocks

• A study on the use of farm 

cooperatives to reduce the cost of 

biodiesel production

Updates (continued from page 3) • A region-wide assessment of 

textile wastes as ethanol feedstocks

• A study of land reclaimed from 

phosphate mining in Florida for 

sugar cane production for ethanol

• Partial funding for installing two 

E85 refueling stations each in 

Kentucky and Missouri.

Biofuels-Related 

State Legislative

Activities

Montana—House Bill 555,

signed by Governor Marc Racicot

on May 2, extends the ethanol

credit for 4 more years, through

2005.

Minnesota—House Bill 2150,

signed by Governor Arne Carlson

on May 30, adds an additional 

$4 million to ethanol production

incentives, which increases the

total to $34 million annually.