Audi is approving many of its V6 diesel engines for renewable fuel use

Audi has confirmed that many of its six-cylinder diesel engines can be used with renewable fuels, a step that it says is important in reaching climate targets.

While much of the automotive industry is focusing on electrifying vehicles, making the fuels we use today more sustainable is also seen as hugely important.

Many car manufacturers and related companies are investing in renewable, man-made fuels, and now Audi has confirmed that owners of many of its V6 diesels will be able to use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuels.

This applies to all V6 diesels up to and including 282bhp that are rolling off the production line from the middle of February.

The use of HVO fuels can reduce CO2 emissions from a vehicle between 70 and 95 per cent compared to ‘fossil diesel’.

It also has a higher cetane rating, which means it’s more efficient and has a cleaner combustion process, with Audi saying it’s particularly impressive on cold starts.

HVO is created using residual and waste materials such as waste cooking oil from the food industry. Hydrogen is incorporated, making the properties of vegetable oils suitable for use in diesel engines. They can be used solely to fuel vehicles, or mixed with traditional fuels to improve emissions.

Audi says it has various pilot projects look at synthetic fuels, and is using R33 blue diesel at filling stations at two of its German factories. It has found that CO2 emissions are reduced 20 per cent and it acts as a premium fuel, helping to reduce wear. Itt works with all existing diesel engines, too.

The firm says that it hopes to approve further combustion engines for use with synthetic fuels, along with the wider Volkswagen Group.

Oliver Hoffmann, chief development officer at Audi, said: “With our ‘Vorsprung 2030’ strategy, we’re pursuing the clearly defined goal that all new models we launch worldwide as of 2026 will be all-electric only. In this way, we’re making an essential contribution on the road to carbon-neutral mobility.

“At the same time, we’re optimising our existing combustion engine portfolio for more efficiency and lower emissions. One way we’re doing this is by creating the requisite technical foundations for the use of sustainable fuels such as HVO.”