High Scores For E20 Test On Mercedes-Benz Vehicles

  • Friday, 03 February 2017 12:47

E20 delivers good combustion properties, a high degree of efficiency and lower emissions, Germany's Clariant International Inc said after conduting a year-long test on a fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

In a statement Feb 2, Clariant said the tests were conducted with Mercedes-Benz and Halterman Carless, which conducts tests on performance fuels. The E20 used was a Clariant's sunliquid20, which is produced from cellulosic ethanol made from cereal straw or corn stover.

Clariant said the tests also showed that fuel consumption using E20 was identitical to E10. It did not specify the type of engines equipped in the tested Mercedes-Benz fleet.

"The 20 percent cellulosic ethanol by volume has another decisive advantage. In addition to the higher CO2 savings and reduced emissions, it gives the fuel a significantly higher octane number (RON) of over 100. With a widespread introduction of E20, engines could be adapted in the future so that the quality advantage of the fuel could be used to improve engine efficiency and thus further reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions," Clariant said. 

RON 100 would equal an AKI rating (the standard used in the US) of 95.

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Caption : The Mercedes-Benz vehicles used for the E20 testing. Source : Clariant International