![The Ford Flexifuel Vehicle The Ford Flexifuel Vehicle](https://images.zeald.com/site/advancedfordholden/images/news/June-13/ford_flexifuel_vehicle_sm.jpg)
Could Algae be a potential Bio-Fuel?
Ford is looking into alternative fuels to power their vehicles. Ford researchers are working hard to understand if algae could be a potential sustainable resource in the production of bio-fuels for the auto industry.
The way it works is that the characteristics of algae gives it potential to be a bio-fuel feedstock and certain types of algae have the ability to efficiently convert carbon dioxide to oil, carbohydrates and other cell components through photosynthesis. Also algae can be grown in a vast number of differing environments including fresh or saline water. Algae has the ability to double in volume daily and be collected year-round, a distinct advantage over other bio-fuel feedstock such as soybeans and corn, which commonly produce just one harvest over the year.
![](https://images.zeald.com/site/advancedfordholden/images/news/June-13/algae_sm.jpg)
Currently, the algae researchers are looking for economical and sustainable ways to develop commercial-scale production and the maintenance of high oil-producing algae. The main benefit of using bio-fuels over fossil fuels will be found in the ability to stop relying on the fossil fuel producers and then produce bio-fuel from a renewable resource.
![](https://images.zeald.com/site/advancedfordholden/images/news/June-13/biofuel_pump_sm.jpg)
Ford wants to continue to give customers the ability to choose by supporting increased availability of bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends from diverse and sustainable sources and design vehicle power plants that are capable of using these sustainable bio-fuels.
Between 2006 and 2010, Ford has doubled the number of flexible fuel vehicles, which can run on petrol, or E85 ethanol that has been produced in the U.S.
![](https://images.zeald.com/site/advancedfordholden/images/news/June-13/e85_logo_sm.jpg)
Ford has more than 5 million E85 capable vehicles on the road throughout the world and offers more than a dozen vehicle models with that capability.
Ford researchers will continue to monitor other research on algae as a potential feedstock for the long-term, while continuing their internal work with the more current and midterm bio-fuel based solutions. These include ethanol and butanol, manufactured from stalks, leaves and other woody matter feedstock.
June 2013