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Ethanol is commonly employed as a transportation fuel in Brazil. However, since pure ethanol’s flash point is 12°C, flex-fuel vehicles marketed in Brazil are currently equipped with a redundant fuel system which delivers gasoline during cold starts below [typically] 18°C. Since these low temperatures are infrequently experienced in Brazil, gasoline in the auxiliary fuel tank may evaporate and/or varnish during extended dormant periods, resulting in poor quality or no-starts. It is therefore desirable to eliminate the gasoline system by vaporizing a sufficient quantity of ethanol to enable cold starts at low ambient temperatures. A port fuel injector capable of rapidly heating ethanol above its flash point has been developed which eliminates the need for the redundant fuel system. During cold-start conditions, the vehicle’s controller commands power to an electrical heater contained within each injector.