Federal MP Bob Katter has called for Australia to rely more heavily on ethanol, amid criticism over Australia’s lack of vehicle manufacturing.
Ethanol-blended fuel is a biofuel made by fermenting grains and sugars, then mixing the product with petrol. Katter made the calls in Federal Parliament last week amid a wide-ranging, and tangential, speech.
“Where do we get solar panels from? China. Where do we get ethanol from? Australia—or we should be getting ethanol from Australia,” Katter said.
“So, instead of going to ethanol and fuelling our cars with ethanol produced from one of the four biggest grain and sugarcane exporting countries in the world, we’ve chosen to buy our fuel—solar panels—from China.”
While E10 fuel is available at many service stations around Australia, which is 10 per cent ethanol and 90 per cent petrol, fuel with higher concentrations of ethanol than this are rare.
E85, which is 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, is available at a small number of locations around Australia. However most petrol vehicles can’t run on it without significant modification due to the potential for damage in vehicles not specified to suit ethanol’s unique chemical properties.
Not all cars sold in Australia are compatible with E10, and many manufacturers recommend filling up with at least 95 RON premium unleaded.
Katter, who has long campaigned for expansion of ethanol production and use in Australia, also took aim at the end of car manufacturing in Australia.
“…that’s in keeping with the fact that 52 per cent of our motor cars sold this year have also come from China,” Katter said.
“Once upon a time, in the 1980s, in my lifetime, 62 per cent of our cars were built here in Australia, and, if I may be excused for using a crude term, they were bloody good cars. Thanks to the stupidity of the ALP and the LNP, we now have no car manufacturing in this country.”
Katter referenced countries overseas that already have higher ethanol blends in their fuel, singling out Brazil.
“Brazil is on 60 per cent ethanol and they were filling up for $1.70, the last time I looked. Ethanol was introduced in every country in the world because they needed oxygen to replace the lead that was taken out. It got a very poor burn, so there was a serious problem with particles getting into your lungs,” Katter said.
Reuters reports that Brazil recently raised the mandatory ethanol levels in its fuel to 32 per cent in response to strained global fuel supplies. Other countries that offer high ethanol blends include Paraguay and Thailand.
However, many cars sold in these countries are already designed to be compatible with high concentrations of ethanol fuel due to long histories of high-ethanol fuel, which is not the case in Australia.
Later in his speech, Katter also highlighted the health risks of emissions from vehicles.
“The Premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma, introduced ethanol because it’s got oxygen, you get a much better burn and you don’t have 9,000 people dying in the Greater Sydney area every year from lung disease that comes from motor vehicle emissions.”
Former New South Wales premier Morris Iemma did introduce a mandate in 2007 that 2 per cent of all petrol sold be ethanol. As of 2026 the minimum is now 6 per cent.
“Biofuels are good for the environment, they create jobs, they create regional jobs, they help farmers, they improve fuel security,” Iemma said in 2008.
Katter, the federal member for the Queensland electorate of Kennedy, is known to make statistical errors during his passionate speeches and not all his claims can be verified.
While the health risks associated with vehicle emissions are well documented, Katter’s figure of 9,000 deaths in Sydney alone from lung disease is potentially overstated.
Figures from 2021 indicate approximately 4500 NSW residents die from lung disease each year, while lung cancer kills around 9000 Australians in total each year.
Katter’s wide ranging speech touched on topics including the coal industry and indigenous Australians.
The veteran politician spoke continuously until his time expired, at which time a fellow MP exclaimed “Thank God for time limits!”.
Katter’s full speech can be read here.
Extracted in full from: https://www.drive.com.au/news/bob-katter-says-australia-should-rely-on-ethanol-for-cars/
