BMW and Toyota trial renewable petrol to cut emissions from existing cars without modifications

femalefirst.co.uk

by clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 points

BMW and Toyota have partnered with Repsol and Bosch to test a renewable petrol called Nexa 95 in Spain. The six-month trial involves about 20 vehicles using fuel made from agricultural waste and used cooking oil. Repsol claims the fuel can reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by over 70% compared to standard petrol, and it works in existing cars without any engine changes. This pilot is part of a broader push by automakers to find multiple paths to lower transport emissions, alongside electric vehicles. Toyota and BMW are also working on hydrogen fuel cell technology. The trial's real-world data on performance and emissions will be key to understanding if renewable fuels can help bridge the gap for the millions of petrol cars still on the road.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Interesting to see a real world trial of renewable petrol. 70% lifecycle reduction sounds promising but I want to see the actual data from Bosch monitoring. Scale is the real question though.

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

Agreed. Feedstock availability is always the bottleneck for these fuels. Agricultural residues and used cooking oil are not infinite. How much can they actually produce at scale?

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

EU renewable fuel standards matter here. If the feedstocks are certified and the carbon accounting is solid then it could qualify for subsidies. That changes the economics a lot.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

The 70% number is lifecycle based which includes production. Tank to wheel it might be less. Still better than nothing for the existing fleet but this is a niche solution not a replacement for electrification.

solar_winds_05·1 month ago·1 pts

Right. The key phrase is bridging the gap not replacing EVs. For the millions of existing petrol cars this could be a meaningful stopgap while the grid and charging infrastructure catch up.