In 1984, the São Paulo telephone company Telesp was using a Volkswagen Beetle with a 1.6-liter alcohol engine. This is not an unusual development in a country that has adopted the famous Beetle, and in a country with great potential for alcohol production, a recurring source of pollution, and a need to save money for the population, Brazilian governments are constantly seeking innovative solutions.
However, it was not Volkswagen that first launched alcohol-powered cars, but Fiat with the 1.3-liter 147 with a four-speed manual transmission on July 5, 1979.
The development of alcohol-powered cars in Brazil began in 1975, under the auspices of the government and its "Proalcool" program, which provided favorable loans to sugarcane producers and car manufacturers that were developing this technology.
Between 1980 and 1985, the market share of alcohol-powered cars increased from 27% to 95.8%.
Later, with the decline in oil prices, alcohol-powered cars lost their appeal. However, the widespread use of electronic fuel injection and the modernization of engine control systems allowed manufacturers to develop cars that ran on either alcohol, gasoline, or a mixture of the two.
From this story there is still a copy belonging to a former employee who restored it and gave the specific accessories such as the specific yellow color (it was repainted in white after the privatization of the company which took the colors of the new company), the lettering (in sticker instead of paint), the fiberglass tool box which was in place at the rear of the cars, the luggage rack, the ladder, apart from that they had no options, except of course the one which makes it original, its engine running on alcohol, a sign that alcohol maintains health and always runs.
Advertisement for the Fusca (Brazilian name for the Beetle) in Álcool.
On September 11, 1950, the first 30 Beetles from Germany arrived at the port of Santos (SP). Production at the Volkswagen plant in São Bernardo do Campo (SP) would begin nine years later.
In 1978, Autoesporte exclusively tested a Beetle converted to run on alcohol by the Aerospace Technical Center (CTA). Two years before the new model reached the market, the team compared it with the gasoline version.
Full test published in Autoesporte magazine, 1978, issue 167
Volkswagen Alcohol Outperforms Volkswagen Gasoline
The outlook for the national economy has been worse since 1974, when the energy crisis precipitated it. For Brazil, the situation could go from bad to worse thanks to ethyl alcohol, the fuel that would lead the country to a position as a world power in the sector. Of the 52 million cubic meters of oil consumed annually by Brazil, no less than 40 million are imported, meaning that Brazil depends 80% on its oil consumption from supplier countries.
This total import also represents 30% of our total energy consumption. The sudden rise in oil prices and its consequences for the global economy are nothing new. But that's not the problem either.
A 600-page report prepared by 34 American experts reveals that by 1983, oil demand will equal supply, and that the world will then find itself in a generalized shortage of this fuel.
From then on, the price of oil will no longer be the problem, but its acquisition. Inevitably, some countries will run out of oil, and in the situation their economies find themselves in, there will be no more room for bargains.
Alerting various nations dependent on foreign oil, the study by the Annual Review of Energy, published in the United States, clearly indicates that between 1990 and the end of the century, all known and undiscovered oil reserves will be depleted.
Brazil is among the oil-dependent countries, with a very high percentage of imports. Currently, what is sought is a reduction in this percentage, which could mean greater currency evasion each year.
As a renewable resource, ethyl alcohol plays a key role in the national economy. It can power a gasoline engine without any modifications, even with a significant reduction in efficiency.
However, few modifications can significantly increase the power of that same engine compared to its original gasoline-powered performance.
Based on this data, the addition of commercial ethanol to gasoline was initiated. This can be derived from sugarcane, cassava, babassu, or castor oil. Currently, all gasoline contains 15% alcohol, and there are plans to increase this percentage to 20%, as is already happening in some states. These are the first steps toward engines powered entirely by alcohol.
And alcohol is the complete solution to Brazil's energy problem. According to José Walter Bautista Vidal, Secretary of Industrial Technology at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Brazil will soon achieve self-sufficiency in the sector if it develops its existing potential.
Because it is an agricultural product, alcohol is a fuel derived from renewable and inexhaustible sources, and Brazil is the most privileged of all countries in the world.
There are several arguments in favor of using alcohol as an energy source. Three years ago, a ton of sugar cost $1,500 on the international market, and today its price is only $140. Furthermore, the price of energy has never fallen—quite the opposite.
There are already 190 approved ethyl alcohol production plants in the country. With all this potential, the only doubt would be the feasibility of this entire program, a mission entrusted to the PMO, the department responsible for engines and turbines at the Aerospace Technical Center (CTA) of São José dos Campos, an agency of the Ministry of Aeronautics.
As for the feasibility of producing ethyl alcohol, there is no doubt. It is obtained by the fermentation of carbohydrates (sugar, starch, and cellulose) formed by the photosynthetic action of sunlight on plant chlorophyll.
To produce ethyl alcohol from plant sources by photosynthetic means, a country must have a large territorial area, a warm (tropical) climate with strong sunshine, soil quality suitable for the necessary crops, and the availability of unused arable land.
Brazil is perfectly suited to these issues and already has an appropriate level of technological and industrial development, in addition to the necessary financial resources.
An ancient fuel
Ethyl alcohol has been used as a fuel since the early days of the internal combustion engine, but it was abandoned because these engines were developed in countries with high gasoline availability.
In Brazil, its first uses date back to the 1920s, when it was used in several research projects at the experimental gas station, now called the National Institute of Technology (INT). Several practical demonstrations were held on the Rio-São Paulo and Rio-Petrópolis routes using an adapted Ford car.
In 1925, alcohol was used in competitions in Rio, using 70% GL alcohol (30% water), with results considered encouraging.
During World War II, when Japanese aircraft were flying on alcohol, it was used in northeastern Brazil, but the engine's unsuitability significantly reduced its efficiency. Research continued after the war, but only through isolated technicians at several national research centers.
Among them was Professor Ernesto Stumpf of the CTA, one of the greatest enthusiasts of the idea of using alcohol as a sole fuel, due to the brief oil shortage. The development of the alcohol engine in this second phase began in 1974, thanks to the combined efforts of the CTA, the INT, and the IST.
The pace of work was intense. Thousands of tests were conducted with different percentages of mixtures in many types of engines. The study of alcohol's performance as a fuel was conducted using dynamometers, on streets and roads, establishing the most efficient way to adapt gasoline engines to alcohol consumption: dimensional modifications to certain engine components, which did not involve cost changes.
Today, while launching projects for engines specifically designed for the use of ethyl alcohol, which are more efficient than converted ones, the CTA has already put into service no fewer than 577 vehicles with converted engines, through fleets of companies such as Telesp, Comar I, Copel, Telebrasília, Celpe, and Furnas, which maintain a permanent contract with the CTA. These vehicles have traveled no fewer than 6,200,000 kilometers as of June, in various climatic conditions.
Alcohol Advantage
These 6,200,000 kilometers of city driving clearly demonstrated what was already known from dynamometer studies. According to reports, the high latent heat of vaporization combined with the high octane rating allows for higher thermal efficiency than petroleum derivatives.
Furthermore, alcohol is non-toxic, emits 60% less nitrogen oxides and 50% less carbon monoxide, and its combustion gases contain no hydrocarbons or tetraethyllead.
Even though it can run a gasoline engine without modifications, that same engine can generate 23% more power, provided it undergoes the appropriate modifications.
The big problem at the beginning of this program was knowing that I wanted the modifications and their sizing in gasoline engines, which required a lot of research, time, and resources. Today, the CTA already dominates all this technology, being able to export it instead of importing it, as happened with the domestic auto industry.
By adding up to 20% alcohol, no engine modifications are required. However, for the exclusive use of alcohol, it is necessary to recalibrate the carburetor gauges, change the distributor curve, adopt an intake manifold with a preheating system of alcohol mixed with air, a low-temperature starting system by injecting a small amount of gasoline (already obsolete due to the improvement in alcohol consumption), and an increased compression ratio.
Running with a VW on alcohol
Autosport received the VW CTA 1300 exclusively for testing. We requested a car identical to the Brazilian VW, powered by gasoline, for an unprecedented direct comparison.
Inside the alcohol-fueled car's engine, you'll see a modified manifold and a mixture heating system. Internally, a revolution counter in the center of the panel suggests a car driven by people who need more than normal engine power.
The engine takes no more or less time to connect than normal engines, and nothing feels like it's putting the car into motion.
However, as the gears change, you feel better when accelerating, with good torque from low revs. With more demand, the engine demonstrates greater power than the Volkswagen 1300 petrol.
And in acceleration tests, conducted comparing the two vehicles, the alcohol-fueled car was far superior to the standard model.
From 40 to 60 km/h, in third gear, the alcohol-fueled VW took 5.4 seconds compared to 6.7 seconds for the petrol car. From 60 to 80 km/h, in fourth gear, this difference increased further, with 10.8 seconds for the alcohol-fueled vehicle and 14 seconds for the other.
From 80 to 100 km/h, in third gear, the difference was even more pronounced, with 9.7 seconds for the alcohol-fueled car and 14.5 seconds for the VW gasoline. And in fourth gear, this same measurement revealed a surprising difference: 15 seconds for the alcohol-fueled car and 25 seconds for the gasoline—no less than 10 seconds.
In the measurements, from a standstill, the VW with alcohol was also significantly faster. Up to 80 km/h, it took 15.8 seconds, while the other took 17.1 seconds, both using first, second, and third gears. Up to 100 km/h, the alcohol-fueled car took 30.5 seconds, while the other needed 31.6 seconds. To cover one kilometer from a standstill, the former took 45 seconds, slightly less than the latter, at 47 seconds.
Regarding fuel consumption, the alcohol-fueled Beetle achieved 5.6 km/l in urban areas, compared to 8.5 km/l under the same conditions. On highways, it covered 9.1 km on a standard liter, while the normal one covered 10.9 km. On busy roads, the alcohol-fueled Beetle covered 10.5 km, compared to 11.8 km for the other, within the limits already anticipated.
However, the higher fuel consumption, in terms of mileage per liter of fuel, does not mean that the gasoline engine is more economical, as this fuel is significantly more expensive than alcohol in Brazil, now due to political choice and later may even be a rarity.
For further comparison, under exactly the same operating conditions, we tested both vehicles on the Sun Mark III dynamometer, used exclusively by Autosport, which provides the necessary data through measurements taken with the wheels running on the rollers.
There, we measured the acceleration time from 40 to 60 km/h in third gear, with 5.8 seconds for the VW running on alcohol and 5.4 seconds for the gasoline car, the only measurement in which it proved faster.
From 40 to 80 km/h, still in third place, alcohol consumed 12.7 seconds compared to 13.7 seconds for gasoline. From 60 to 80 km/h on Wednesday, alcohol consumed 10 seconds and the VW gasoline 10.9 seconds. From 60 to 100 km/h, both in fourth place, alcohol consumed 23.3 seconds compared to 28.1 seconds for the VW gasoline.
As for top speed, the VW alcohol recorded 123 km/h, while the gasoline was slightly slower at 122 km/h. At constant speed, alcohol almost equaled gasoline in terms of mileage per liter of fuel.
Moving at 40 km/h, in third place, the alcohol-powered car achieved 14.5 km/l, compared to 15 km/l for gasoline. On Wednesday at 40 km/h, it reached 18.3 km/l, compared to 18.8 km/l. At 60 km/h on Wednesday: alcohol 18 km/l, gasoline 17.5 km/l; at 80 km/h on Wednesday: 14.9 km/l for alcohol, 16.9 km/l for gasoline; at 100 km/h on Wednesday: alcohol 12.6 km/l, compared to 14.5 km/l normal.
However, the VW running on alcohol again exceeds the normal exhaust gas pollution level. The CO percentage of alcohol at idle is only 2.8, while that of gasoline is 5.4.
Other benefits of using alcohol as a fuel by various fleets have already been noted, such as longer engine life, better combustion of the mixture, leaving less waste, engine operation at lower temperatures, and the fact that the oil is not diluted by ethyl alcohol improves lubrication and reduces wear on moving parts.
Third, at 40 km/h, 0.15 for alcohol and 3 for gasoline. Fourth, at 60 km/h: 0.35 for alcohol and 2.4 for gasoline; at 80 km/h: 0.3 for alcohol and 1.3 for gasoline; at 100 km/h, 0.75 for alcohol and 1 for gasoline.
As expected, the power at the wheels is much higher in the alcohol-powered car. At 90 km/h, it has 33 real hp on the driven wheels, while the gasoline engine gets 31 hp. Torque also showed greater differences. At 35 km/h, 148 kgfm, compared to 128 kgfm for the gasoline car.
Conclusions
Comparing all these data, the conclusion is clear: in addition to being a more economical vehicle, the alcohol-powered car proved to be more agile, more powerful, with better throttle response, and, therefore, more enjoyable to drive.
Even if it consumes a few liters more fuel to cover the same route, it is more economical because the price of a liter of alcohol is cheaper than that of gasoline. Moreover, its use poses fewer problems for the national economy and the environment.
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