Ethanol used in transportation applications reduces oil dependence and results in lower emissions.
Fuel cells operate very efficiently compared with internal combustion engines, reducing the price gap between utilization of ethanol and cheap imported gasoline. Hydrated ethanol can be used in a fuel cell system with no loss in efficiency compared with high-grade ethanol, opening the way for the use of ethanol that can be used at a lower cost. In a program conducted in 1996 for the ICMB, Arthur D. Little conducted a series of tests to demonstrate the use of hydrated ethanol in an advanced fuel processor. The results of this testing were successful and have been presented at prominent industry gatherings, including the 1996 Fuel Cell Seminar and the 1996 DOE Customer Coordination Meeting. This technical work and publication effort has kept ethanol positioned as a desirable fuel cell vehicle fuel.