Holden cars have been stereotyped as gas-guzzlers that are not friendly to the environment. The company recently made great strides in changing the perception of its trucks and cars. The new Holden models are more efficient than ever and can use different fuel types, such as propane and E85, which is a mix of 85% ethanol petrol and 15% unleaded petrol.
See here now some examples of Holden’s environmentally-friendly approach to automotive technology:
* The newly introduced Series II VE Commodore can run on E85 biofuel. The Commodore's V6 (3-litre) and V8 (6-liter VEII (6-litre) engines can be run on either regular petrol or E85. 2012 will see the introduction of a 3.6-liter flex-fuel V6 engine.
Holden has increased the fuel economy of standard petrol engines through direct fuel injection. This has led to a reduction of fuel waste by 2-5% for V6 engines, and as much as 6% for V8 engines.
* Holden Special Vehicles offers the 2011 WM3 Grange. This V8 engine can run on either liquid propane or gasoline and produces 436 horsepower. Propane is cheaper than gasoline and produces fewer emissions.
* It is just the beginning of offering environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles. Holden is also interested in the production and distribution of biofuel. By joining a consortium of companies and the Victorian State Government, Holden hopes to open Australia's first ethanol plant in Victoria.
The plant could produce ethanol from many sources, including wood biomass and industrial waste. This is second-generation ethanol production. This production process is different from first-generation ethanol because it doesn't use valuable plant products (e.g. sugar) during the creation of ethanol.