FFVs, or Flexible Fuel Vehicles, when introduced, were hailed as the best way for people who want to limit their carbon footprint through sustainable driving. However, things have changed. If you are living in the US, should you buy an FFV? What are the benefits and cons of buying an FFV in the US these days? Does it make sense, honestly?

These are some ‘burning’ questions that often plague the minds of environment-conscious residents who are planning to buy a car. This blog will try to cover all bases in the following sections.

What is A Flexible-Fuel Vehicle?

FFVs or Flexible Fuel Vehicles are internal combustion engine (gasoline) powered vehicles whose engines, ECUs, and fuel delivery systems are tuned to function properly whether the fuel in the tank is pure gasoline or blended gasoline.

FFVs are equipped with electronic sensors that automatically detect the ethanol-to-gasoline ratio and then control the fuel injection, all the while adjusting the spark timing so that the engine performs optimally. Production costs for FFVs are marginally high as they need to be equipped with ethanol-compatible components.

In case you are wondering how you can visually identify an FFV from a run-of-the-mill gasoline vehicle, look for the “Flex Fuel" external badge, a bright yellow fuel cap, or both!

Status Of FFVs In the US

Most, if not all, US car makers have stopped making FFVs except Ford, which still makes and sells new FFVs to its customers. As of now, 20 million FFVs are plying on the US roads. However, the lack of blended fueling infrastructure has been instrumental in making people shy away from the idea of buying flexible fuel vehicles in the USA.

Pros & Cons of FFVs

FFV Pros

• Ethanol burns cleaner when compared to gasoline – the outcome is that FFVs emit lower harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide through their tailpipes.
• Blended fuel usage allows the US to reduce its dependence on foreign crude oil.
• Blended fuel provides a performance boost to internal combustion engines.

FFV Cons

• Ethanol production demands the clearance of forested lands or planting ethanol-producing grains instead of essential food crops.
• The US itself is a producer of crude, and even with the introduction of FFVs, the US didn’t reduce its crude oil imports. Hence, the FFV incentive, yet again, falls short!
• Ethanol, compared to gasoline, has less energy density. Hence, even with the best car GPS trackers, one can diligently calculate every mile their vehicle is running every day, but still won’t be able to let their blended fuel-drinking vehicle surpass the mileage of pure gasoline-powered vehicles!

Should You Buy An FFV In the US?