Gaikindo Reveals Japanese Cars Safe for Ethanol Fuel

KatadataOTO – The Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries (Gaikindo) reveals that cars made by Japanese manufacturers are already capable of using gasoline containing ethanol. In fact, this mixture is considered safe as it is already used by many countries around the world.

Interestingly, they revealed that this safety standard does not only apply to new models. This is because the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has confirmed that a maximum ethanol blend of 10 percent (E10) is still safe for Japanese-made units produced after the year 2000.

“Corrosion can still be tolerated to a certain extent. For E10, most Japanese car manufacturers have agreed to its use,” said Kukuh Kumara, General Secretary of Gaikindo, some time ago.

He also revealed that piston engines, hoses, and various other components are already compatible. Therefore, the public does not need to worry when using ethanol fuel.

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Meanwhile, Ali Ahmudi, Head of Puskep UI, revealed that ethanol still has the potential to bind with water, especially in open air. However, he mentioned that the amount would not be significant.

Therefore, several improvements must be made to avoid future problems. These range from investigating cases of water content in gas tanks to a more thorough socialization of ethanol implementation.

Welcomed by Toyota

Despite the pros and cons regarding the use of ethanol in Indonesia, Toyota revealed that the products they sell have been compatible with E10 since 2010. They are even testing the Kijang Innova Zenix Flexy Fuel to be able to use a gasoline blend with 85 percent ethanol, or E85.

Not only that, the manufacturer is also reportedly planning to seize investment opportunities. They want to meet the demand for bioethanol in Indonesia.

This is because the demand for bioethanol in the country reaches 40 million kiloliters per year. With the implementation of E10, this demand will become around 4 million kiloliters by 2027.

Photo : KatadataOTO

"So as not to lose momentum, preparations for the construction of supporting factories must begin now," said Todotua Pasaribu, Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming, quoted from Antara, Monday (10/11).

Seeing this opportunity, Toyota is reportedly going to invest in the development of the bioethanol ecosystem in Indonesia.