They’re at again. How can the government spend our money to promote use of a product made by a small number of private companies? Easy.
The ad agency 303 MullenLowe has launched a multi-million-dollar multimedia campaign “E10 fuel for Thought” for NSW Fair Trading. This is the government outfit that says it “safeguards the rights of all consumers and advises business and traders on fair and ethical practice”. No irony there. And guess who the minister is? Yup, The Hon. Matthew Kean MP, Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation.
Let me give you a flavour of the campaign.
In the website section “10 myths busted”, the ad agency and Fair Trading challenge the myth that “E10 is bad for my engine”. They bust it with a carefully researched rebuttal, “E10 is compatible with most modern cars on the road today”. Phew, I feel better now.
Here’s what the American Automobile Association had to say about ethanol a few years ago: “More than 90 per cent of the vehicles on the road today are not approved by manufacturers to use E15, including nearly all 2001-2013 models. E15 is only approved for use by automakers in flex-fuel engines, 2001 and newer Porsches, and selected 2012 and newer vehicles where it is clearly specified in the owner’s manual. Sustained use of E15 gasoline in vehicles not designed for its use could result in significant problems such as accelerated engine wear and failure, fuel-system damage and false check engine lights. Automakers are on record as saying their warranties will not cover claims caused by E15.”
Britain’s Royal Automobile Club says “There have also been reports that E10 is a less stable fuel and that this can make it more difficult to start a vehicle that has not been driven for an extended period.” And, can I add, you actually get worse fuel efficiency.
MoreBikes UK spoke to BSD Performance’s Mark Brewin, from one of Britain’s top tuning and race development companies: “You can’t sugar coat this: it’s a nightmare. I work on 30-35 GSX-R1000 engines every year, but the ones that come from the USA, where their fuel is really nasty, have valves caked in crap when I take them out.”
Another myth buster is that “ethanol blended motor vehicle fuel is used in over 64 countries”. As the RAC says: ‘‘The German government discussed the introduction of E10 in 2008, but dropped the idea, mainly because around 3 million vehicles could not use the fuel. E10 was finally rolled out in Germany in 2011, but led to a so-called ‘E10 boykott’ as drivers resisted the change. Some motorists were concerned about potential damage and invalidated warranties, while others protested about the way it was introduced.”
I wonder if the Department of Unfair Trading are funding this with speed camera fines?
Talking about how they’re getting at us, have you noticed how the service departments in dealerships are turning into millennial hangouts? It used to be service people got it. Like petrol stations and banks, we hate going there. If you could throw your car in the window and run that would be good. But now it’s about the coffee, the Wi-Fi, the lounge, the branded merchandise and upselling. I’ve been taking my Porkers to the same dealer for service for about 10 years. It used to be great. The people you spoke to were ex-mechanics, they knew your name, they knew you wanted to throw the keys at them and run out.
About a year ago they put in a concierge who met you when you drove in. He wanted to talk to you before he let you go and see the next person who offered you the coffee and lounge and Wi-Fi. If you said you didn’t want the coffee and lounge and Wi-Fi you were politely ignored. Then you saw the person who took down your details and had the day’s special. I fell for the sat nav upgrade for only $3 million. It worked fine till I went through a tunnel that was built five years ago and it told me I was on the road above.
Anyway, the only person with a service issue at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg in downtown Austria was Lew Hamilton whose gearbox wasn’t happy. Over 145,000 fans put on the lederhosen to watch Bottas take the GP from Vettel, Ricciardo and Hamilton. There’s no doubt Bottas is just getting better and better. Coming in to tomorrow’s British GP, Ladbrokes have Seb Vettel as favourite for the driver’s championship title just slightly ahead of Hamilton, with Val Bottas at 17 to 1, Danny Ricciardo at 300 to 1 and the rest of the field at 5000 to 1. Some good value bets there.
But better news at last weekend’s round three of the Australian Production Car series. Bob Pearson drank champagne from his race shoe as he won four out of four at Eastern Creek. Unlike all the other two driver teams, the Pro-Duct air conditioning owner drove the whole series himself, getting out at the mandatory pit stops, disconnecting all his gear then putting it back on again and hopping in. I think this is Bob’s 27th year behind the wheel. Weekend Australian Le Mons’ team driver Steve Champion partnered up with Michael Sherrin to take a class win. Not bad for a brown-cardigan-wearing accountant.
This is a shortened version of the original article – read the rest at The Australian
