Alkol Brings Ethanol Conversion Technology To U.S. Market

Alkol is asking for $2 million to bring its technology to the United States. The company has used its ethanol conversion technology in Brazil for 15 years, and is now gaining clout in the U.S. 

CEO Al Costa, who runs the U.S. branch of Alkol, has said that the company has secured funding to make the technology commercially available in the U.S. The company plans to expand globally to China and then Israel after penetrating the market in the United States.

“Our long-term goal is to become the leader in car conversion systems,” Costa said.

Alkol specialises in modify cars to be compatible with ethanol, the company’s “1-Hour Flex” alcohol converter enables any vehicle to be fueled by any amount of alcohol or gas, and most importantly the conversion process is quick and economical. The technology consists of three separate parts which all act together to allow the vehicle to run on alcohol.

The first part is conversion equipment which enables the car with a computer that remotely times fuel injections into the car’s engine, the second is an ignition remapper, which makes it possible for the car to start more quickly than is usually associated with ethanol. Lastly, the car is equipped with a cold start system which eliminates the high temperatures usually required to start an ethanol-fueled vehicle.

“We do not really like to sell the components. That’s not our main business,” Costa said. “Our business model is for you to drive in [to a pump station] and have a coffee, and by the time you’re done, we’ll have completed all the necessary modifications to your car.”

Alkol gets most their business from personal vehicle owners, government vehicles, car hire facilties, and large corporations who wish to lower their carbon emissions by having cleaner running cars.