An ethanol-methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) fuel blend was used as a substitute for hydrated ethanol to improve the vehicle cold start and drivability characteristics during the warm-up period. The vehicle was tested in a cold box, reaching a lower ambient temperature limit of -6deg;C, which represents the most severe weather condition experienced in Brazil. Different concentrations of MTBE in ethanol were investigated. The results show satisfactory drivability characteristics for the tested conditions, comparable with those found in gasoline-fuelled vehicles, thus overcoming the existing cold start difficulties in production ethanol-fuelled vehicles.
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