Did You Know?
About Sugarcane Ethanol
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More than 100 countries grow sugarcane, including the U.S. which ranks among the top ten producers. (Source: Food & Agriculture Organization)
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American automotive engineer Roberta Nichols is considered the “Mother of the Flex Fuel Vehicle.” She designed the world’s first, and today flex fuel vehicles comprise 90% of new car sales in Brazil. (Source: Energy Victory, ANFAVEA)
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Henry Ford designed the first mass-produced automobile, the famed Model T Ford, to run on pure ethanol. He said it was "the fuel of the future." (Source: Ford Motor Company)
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Sugarcane is used to make many things such as refined table sugar, energy and electricity, bioplastics and, of course, ethanol.
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Sugarcane ethanol powered race cars kicked off the IZOD Indy Car Series in March 2010.
Environmental Benefits
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EPA has designated sugarcane ethanol as an “Advanced Renewable Fuel” – an important category of superior biofuels that will make up at least 15 billion gallons of America’s fuel supply by 2022. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
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Sugarcane ethanol today cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 60-90% compared to gasoline – more than any other biofuel in large scale production.
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California has classified sugarcane ethanol as a “low-carbon” fuel that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s transportation sector. (Source: California Air Resources Board)
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Since sugarcane, a semi-perennial crop, only needs to be replanted every five to seven years it can be harvested without uprooting the plant.
Economic Advantages
Energy Diversity
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Brazil and the U.S. have both been using ethanol for more than 30 years. During that time, Brazil has replaced half of its gasoline needs with sugarcane ethanol.
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Brazil has replaced more than half of its fuel needs with sugarcane ethanol – making gasoline the alternative fuel there. (Source: ANP)