Having a car that runs on both bioethanol and petrol is convenient. When E85 is unavailable, you can always fill your FFV with petrol. But naturally, you want to use renewable fuel to fully benefit from your car.
The network of E85 pumps is now expanding in Europe. Sweden has the biggest network with more than 1,400 pumps all over the country at more than every third regular filling station. But neighbouring country Denmark has no E85 pumps at all.
France is the runner-up with around 300 E85 stations.
– On the highways, it is easy to find E85 pumps – all Carrefour and Leclerc stations along the highways have E85. But to be sure we recommend that travellers check availability on the map at www.ethanol-e85.fr or to download the POI E85 for the GPS on the same web site, says Olivia Ruch, communication officer at the French organisation Passion Céréales.
Germany has about 250 E85 stations spread across the country, although fewer in the eastern part.
In the Netherlands, the number of filling stations with E85 is rising due to a national subsidy. Today there are some 30 stations but the number will grow to 69 within the near future, spread out over the whole country.
John Akkerhuis, BEST local manager in Rotterdam, gives his advice to travellers:
– Visit the web sites listed below to find the location of biofuel pumps and be aware that E85 costs more in the Netherlands than for instance in Germany.
Currently there is no excise reduction on E85 in the Netherlands. Even though the main E85 provider is now selling the fuel for the same price as petrol it is still too expensive due to the extra 30 percent fuel you use and the excise that has to be paid. However, a new Dutch national subsidy for offering biofuels is expected in 2009 and could lower the price of E85.
Switzerland is the same size as the Netherlands but has had a faster E85 expansion. You can fuel your FFV with E85 at more than 50 stations.
– The stations are both in the cities and in the countryside. The petrol companies already engaged in this business will develop availability further.
Compared with France, the E85 price in Switzerland is slightly higher, says Felix Stockar, secretary-general at IG BioE
– Schweizer BioEthanol. Neighbouring country Austria has had a more modest development, with only 13 stations to date.
When driving your FFV in Italy, you may have problems filling up with E85. There is only one pump available, in La Spezia.
The situation in Spain is a bit better, although the market here is also still at an early stage.
– There are not many E85 stations but in the main urban areas of the country you can find public fuel stations that offer bioethanol, says Juan Azcarate at the Department of Environmental Analysis, Madrid City Council.
His advice to travellers is to plan ahead and look up on the internet for stations that offer E85.
– And enjoy the advantages of driving an FFV since you can also refill it with petrol. You should also tank your car with E85 in France before driving to Spain since prices in France are a lot lower.
A general look at the prices for E85 in some European countries show that it costs more per kilometre to drive on E85 than on petrol in Italy, UK and the Netherlands, whereas the taxes favour E85 in Sweden, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and France. Planning your fuelling with this in mind could save you some money.
For information about where to fuel E85