Holden had previously spent quite a lot of energy in developing a variant of Commodore to run specifically on E85 blend, but it seems the road has ended.
According to a report from Drive, Holden has quietly dropped the ability to run environmentally friendly E85 fuel from its 2015 Commodore range. The move was reportedly made last year with a minor update to the rear-wheel sedan, wagon and ute. Holden spoke of new amenities and color options, but failed to mention the lack of E85 capability.
Presumably, the option was dropped due to the poor feedback Holden customers reported on the fuel’s availability in the country. At one point, however, Holden touted E85 as “the first major step forward in our efforts to move renewable fuels like bio-ethanol from a niche product into the mainstream.”
“It was a very, very small take up [used in the Commodore range],” said Holden director of communications Sean Poppitt. “Our customers weren’t telling us that was something they wanted. E85 simply hasn’t taken off as a more general fuel and availability is very limited at stations.”
Holden also said the production process minus E85 capability is cheaper, but minor.
Caltex was a major proponent in engineering the Commodore to run on E85, but the company is now even scaling back the fuel’s availability across many petrol stations in the country. Caltex cites a lack of awareness about the fuel for the limited demand.
Is seems our Aussie friends will have to stick with tried-and-true petrol for the time being.
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