Gherardo Corsini

1
The Role of Ethanol in General Motors Alternative
Propulsion Strategy
Gherardo Corsini
Director, Regulations, Environment CO2
Strategy General Motors Europe
2
GMs Long Term Vision
Remove the automobile from the energy and
environmental equation
3
Alternative Propulsion Technology Strategy
Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Improved Vehicle Fuel Economy and Emissions
ReducedPetroleum Consumption
Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Biofuels
Internal Combustion Engines Mechanical
Transmissions
Energy Infrastructure
Petroleum (Conventional and Alternative Sources)
Bio Fuels (Ethanol E85, Bio-diesel)
Electricity (Conventional Alternative
Sources)
Hydrogen
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Propulsion Alternatives are many and it is not
clear how these choices will consolidate
Energy Resource
Energy Carrier
Conversion
Propulsion System
Conventional ICE Gasoline / Diesel
Oil (Conventional)
Petroleum Fuels
Liquid Fuels
1st and 2nd Generation Biofuels
Oil (Non-Conventional)
Synthetic fuels (XTL)
ICE Hybrid
CNG, Biogas DME, LPG
Plug-In Hybrid ICE
Electric Vehicle
5
Looking beyond Europe - Ethanol is a major
success for GM

• Europe
• 11,000 vehicle sales in 2006 (80 of Saab 9-5
  sales). Saab European market leader with 40
  market share, ahead of Ford and Volvo
• North America
• GM market leader more than 2 Million vehicles
  on the road
• Brazil
• 90 of the vehicles sold by GM are FlexPower
  vehicles

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What defines a viable fuel option ?

• Fuel availability
• Production cost of fuel
• Energy consumption for fuel production
• Well-to-Wheel balance
• Vehicle availability

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All Eventual E85-Modifications
Intake Manifold
Fuel Tank
Engine
Electronic Fuel Injection
Catalytic Converter
Fuel Pump
Exhaust Pipe
Fuel Pressure Device
Motor Oil
Fuel Filter
Cold Start System
Ignition System
Evaporative Emission System
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Benefits of Ethanol

• Ethanol accounts for approximately 90 percent of
  world biofuel production (Brazil, U.S., China)
• Domestically produced - improved economics due to
  rising petroleum prices
• Clean burning
• Renewable
• Potential to displace significant amounts of
  petroleum
• Mature technology, available now

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2nd Generation Ethanol even more promising

• Most of the current ethanol is produced from corn
  (U.S.) and sugar cane (Brazil)
• Studies have concluded that even with so-called
  first-generation ethanol from corn, the net
  energy balance is positive and puts the vehicles
  and infrastructure in place for significant
  future biofuel growth from non-food sources
• Research is aimed at cost-competitively providing
  ethanol from lignocellulosic material, using crop
  residue (e.g. corn stover) and ultimately energy
  crops such as switch grass
• Cellulosic ethanol uses enzymes that can break
  down the cellulose into sugars and microorganisms
  that convert the sugars to ethanol
• The lignin produced during breakdown of the
  cellulose can be separated and used to generate
  electricity to run the plant

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WTW - Biofuel GHG Emissions
200
180
160
140
Note Ethanol 100
120
WTW GHG Emissions g CO2eq/km
100
80
60
40
20
0
Gasoline
Diesel
Bio-Diesel (FAME)
CNG (pipeline
CBG
Ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol
4tkm)
(municipal
(wheat, NG
(sugar beet)
(wheat straw,
CNG Compressed Natural Gas CBG Compressed
Bio-Gas CHP Combined Heat and Power NG GT Natural
Gas Turbine
waste)
GT CHP)
lignocellulose
- IOGEN)
Source EUCAR-JRC-CONCAWE Joint WTW-Study, Update
2006
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Enablers

• Creating a positive environment for alternative
  fuel capable vehicles encourages automakers to
  help address the dilemma of which would come
  first the alternative fuels, or the vehicles
  able to use the fuels
• GM believes it makes sense to put a greater
  emphasis on getting a larger share also of high
  blend fuels into the market so they can be used
  in the vehicles and really provide a contribution
  to CO2 emission reduction and a wider use of
  renewable energies
• Need to put in place complementary strategies to
  make fuels available

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