Just 21 years from now, Sweden says it wants to have completely reduced its dependence on oil by becoming an “oil free” country by 2030. Sweden has heavily invested in renewable fuels, like E85, and about 85 percent of domestic-brand cars – Volvos and Saabs – sold in Sweden run on ethanol.
Previously, Sweden had announced its intentions to become “oil free” by 2020, but the government announced a relaxation of that rather challenging-to-achieve goal yesterday by pushing back the deadline to 2030. The premise is that new cars sold in Sweden would have to run on renewable fuels and clean electricity.
The country’s energy mostly comes from nuclear and renewable power and, according to Autocar, domestic heating comes from industrial waste energy and geothermal heat. The country’s auto industry is one of the few that’s still heavily dependent on oil, a fact not unnoticed by Swedish enterprise minister Maud Olofsson.
Olofsson has remained the government’s most vocal critic of using state funds for low-interest loans to Saab and Volvo.
The announcement comes as Sweden’s two home automakers both face questionable futures. Should neither brand survive the current auto industry crisis, it seems unlikely that foreign automakers would be willing to invest heavily in forcing their products to comply with Swedish regulations – unless other countries instate similar requirements.
03/12, 2:06 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Maybe they can find a way to make fuel using only an Allen key and a screwdriver like they do their furniture.
03/12, 2:36 PM
posted by:
cyclops
Is this why Bon Lutz is saying Volvo and Saab should merge?
03/12, 2:44 PM
posted by:
TomF
Oil-free by 2030, possibly. Car-company-free by 2010, probably.
03/12, 3:43 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
Now wait wait wait…
E85 is only partially ethanol… there’s still some oil involved there. Besides, haven’t they read the reports showing how bad for the planet ethanol production is? Ethanol actually pollutes more than oil, plus you have to use up valuable farmland, that could be producing food instead, to make fuel. Since ethanol is mainly a corn byproduct reliance on it will drive the price of corn up. So not only will corn and corn products (like corn oil and cornflakes) be expensive but the prices of beef, milk, and chicken will go up as well… since those animals feed on corn. Ethanol is not the answer to the world’s energy problems people!
The only good way I’ve seen to run a car off of food and food byproducts so far is a Mr. Fusion. Unfortunately Doc isn’t available to provide us with one.
03/12, 4:57 PM
posted by:
Borat
What will happen to the cost of Absolute? Are they crazy? That product sells, their cars don’t. Another case of GM mentality.
03/12, 7:44 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
Tom F.. you read my mind! I saw the headline and found it highly optimistic to assume either Swedish brand would last until 2030!
03/13, 12:43 AM
posted by:
jandrews90
I say good for them, now I understand it’s still unlikely, but it’s a great challenge for their country and brings alot of attention. I agree that ethnol is certainly not the answer(but the general public beleives it’s good for the environment) so their just saying here that they are using it now, their not saying thats what they’ll be using in 2030(RaineMan)
03/13, 2:05 AM
posted by:
AxeHead
Swedes, what morons…think they’re saving the planet, where the heck do they think oil comes from…another planet? Might as well use it up. Tofu eating, tree hugging, wimpy hockey playing, boneheads.