A slug of alcohol can make gasoline engines as fuel efficient as a petrol-electric hybrid, says Ford (Image: fishmonk, stock.xchng)

DRIVING and alcohol don’t usually mix, but giving a petrol engine an occasional slug of the hard stuff could make it as fuel-efficient as a petrol-electric hybrid.

So says the Ford Motor Company, which on 19 May revealed test results on a novel ethanol-assisted engine. Called a direct-injection ethanol engine, the unit runs primarily on petrol. When it needs to deliver maximum power – to climb a hill or overtake, for example – the engine management computer adds a little …