Green fuel earns its stripes in 24-hour endurance test

AT THE Le Mans 24-hour endurance race last weekend one car stood out from the crowd. It wasn't just the distinctive green and black livery, or even the New Scientist logo emblazoned across its bodywork that made it special. The Team Nasamax car is the first car to complete the race powered by bioethanol alone.

New Scientist's backing for the car is less about motorsport than supporting the modest aim of its creator, John McNeil, in raising public awareness of renewable fuels. It certainly demonstrates that bioethanol-fuelled cars do not have to compromise on performance.

Bioethanol is 98.5 per cent alcohol with a dash of water, and additives to make it undrinkable. Its advantages over petroleum-based fuels are clear. It releases no particulates, emissions of carbon monoxide are reduced typically by 35 per cent and nitrogen oxides by up to 20 per cent. More importantly, because it is made from ...

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