Toyota Motor Europe, BMW Group, Bosch and Repsol have started a six-month pilot in Spain to assess whether standard petrol vehicles can run entirely on 100% renewable gasoline or petrol.
The programme uses a fleet of about twenty vehicles.
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It includes Toyota and Lexus passenger cars supplied by Toyota España, together with BMW fleet vehicles, all fuelled with Repsol’s Nexa 95 renewable gasoline.
Bosch has supplied a digital fuel-tracking system described as a “Digital Fuel Twin”.
The system is used to verify renewable fuel use during the pilot by collecting and cross-checking refuelling records from vehicle systems, filling stations and fuel card transactions.
Spain was selected for the pilot because of renewable fuel availability, the participation of the project partners and operational support from Toyota España.
Toyota Motor Europe corporate & governmental affairs vice president Pascal Ruch said: “We believe renewable fuels can play a key role alongside electrification in reducing CO₂ emissions. As the transition progresses, it is becoming clear that there is a growing risk that 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2035 may not be fully achieved.
“This pilot aims to demonstrate how renewable fuels can make a meaningful and sustainable contribution to decarbonisation today, for both new and existing vehicles.”
The pilot rests on three core areas.
These are the market accessibility of renewable gasoline – with Repsol the sole supplier of 100% renewable gasoline at public pumps in Spain – the maturity of digital monitoring and certification tools, and the practical rollout of so-called VEEF fleets (Vehicles running Exclusively on Eligible Fuels).
Nexa 95 is produced from feedstocks compliant with the Renewable Energy Directive and, according to the statement, reduces greenhouse gas emissions substantially compared with conventional fossil fuel.
It is also stated to work with existing engines and fuelling infrastructure without modification.
The participating companies said the project is based entirely on vehicles and infrastructure already in use, with no requirement for new automotive technology or infrastructure investment.
The companies said that, as European Union (EU) policy has largely focused on electrification, the pilot is intended to generate evidence for wider discussions about technology neutrality in reducing emissions from the automotive sector.
Interim data and findings from the project will be shared with EU policymakers, industry participants and media organisations, contributing to broader discussion about whether VEEF vehicles might in future be recognised within regulatory frameworks.
BMW Group VEEF programme development head Stefan Heller added: “Our BMW and MINI vehicles as a part of this future oriented pilot, will help to gain valuable data helping us to offer our global customer the best and most efficient powertrain also in the future.”
