AbstractDespite the rapid change in the automobile industry of the past decade, the transportation systems continue to be dominated by petroleum fuels. The reasons are many and varied, ranging from economics and consumer uncertainty to political considerations. The costs and complexity of changes to the fuel systems have also been major inhibiting factors to the introduction of new fuels.One country however — Brazil — has introduced ethanol fuels into its transportation sector on a scale unknown and unmatched elsewhere, and in a remarkably short period of time. Brazil has the world's largest alcohol fuels programme aimed at substituting fossil fuels. Thanks to is pioneer fuel policy, Brazil has provided the rest of the world with important insights regarding the transition to non-petroleum transportation fuels.