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Audi has approved large-scale manufacturing of its six-cylinder diesel engines for use with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as part of the company's transition to become climate neutral by 2050.
According to AutomotiveWorld, since mid-February, selected new models from the multinational Audi with V6 engines and including the company's 282 hp unit can be driven using renewable fuels (HVO). Models include the A4, A5, A6, A7, A8 SUVs and the Q7 and Q8 SUVs. The Q5 will also get a V6 diesel engine compatible with hydrotreated vegetable oil in early March. Each renewable fuel-compatible Audi car can be identified by an 'XTL' sticker on the fuel filler cap. The company's four-cylinder diesel engines are already HVO compatible. Audi claims that running one of its vehicles using HVO can reduce CO2 emissions by 70-95% compared to diesel produced from fossil fuels.
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Head of Powertrain Development at Audi Speaks Out on the Use of HVO in Audi's Combustion Cars
“Since the cetane number of HVO is around 30% higher, the combustibility of the engines is improved. The positive effects of this are particularly noticeable at cold start,” said Matthias Schober, head of powertrain development at Audi for V-TFSI, TDI and PHEV models.
“We tested the effects on various components, performance and exhaust emissions in specific validation runs before granting approval,” he added.
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HVO is a type of biofuel. Biofuels are created from renewable resources such as plants, from waste such as cooking oil from the food industry, or from waste from agriculture. When combined with hydrogen, they are able to replace fossil components in conventional diesel fuels, or they can be used unmixed as a 100% pure fuel.
Audi wants to produce its last combustion cars in 2023
Oliver Hoffmann, head of development at Audi, said: “With our Vorsprung 2030 strategy, we are pursuing the clearly defined objective that all new models we launch worldwide from 2026 onwards will be fully electric, a key contribution on the road to carbon neutral mobility.
“At the same time, we are optimizing our existing combustion engine portfolio for greater efficiency and lower emissions. One way to do this is to create the necessary technical foundations for the use of sustainable fuels such as HVO.”
Audi plans to produce its last internal combustion car in 2033. For the future, Audi and the entire Volkswagen Group plan to approve more combustion engines for renewable synthetic fuels, thus making a valuable contribution to defossilization.
Compatibility of combustion engines with renewable fuels (reFuels)
With several pilot projects, such as the gas-fired power plant in Werlte, Audi has gained valuable insight into the manufacture of sustainable fuels, which are being used throughout the Volkswagen Group. These experiences are also an important basis for developing concepts for an overall sustainable energy system.
The VW Group is cooperating with mineral oil manufacturers and other energy suppliers and is contributing its technical expertise to ensure the compatibility of existing engines with refueling. Since March 2021, for example, the environmentally friendly R33 Blue Diesel has been available at Audi factory filling stations in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. This diesel has a renewable component of up to 33%, based exclusively on residual and residual materials. R33 has two main advantages: Firstly, it reduces CO2 by at least 20% compared to fossil diesel.
Secondly, it is a premium fuel that has a positive effect on wear and service life through special additives. R33 Blue Diesel complies with the most prevalent standard today, EN 590, and is therefore certified for all diesel vehicles – even older ones. The Volkswagen Group played a significant role in the development of the fuel and its expertise helped to prepare the fuel for the market.
In addition to Audi and VW gas stations, fuel is already available at some public gas stations. However, fossil diesel fuel with up to 7% biodiesel content is still the norm in Germany. This fuel is indicated by the B7 symbol at filling stations. Soon, R33 Blue Gasoline will also be available for gasoline engines – the gasoline equivalent of R33 Blue Diesel.
