Audi has started producing its own synthetic diesel as part of a research project into creating CO2-neutral fuels for the future.
The new fuel, titled e-Diesel, is created through a chemical process using CO2 and water, and has powered an A8 3.0-litre diesel test vehicle.
Audi’s lab tests have show the e-Diesel is suitable for mixing with fossil diesel or for use as a fuel in its own right.
Reiner Mangold, head of sustainable product development at Audi, sees it as an important step to complement the brand’s electric vehicle development.
He said: “In developing Audi e-Diesel, we are promoting another fuel based on CO2 that will allow long-distance mobility with virtually no impact on the climate.
“Using CO2 as a raw material represents an opportunity not just for the automotive industry in Germany, but also to transfer the principle to other sectors and countries.”
A spokesman for Audi UK told BusinessCar the pilot plant in Dresden is set to produce more than 3000 litres of Audi e-Diesel over the coming months.
He said: “Industrial-scale production is technically possible, but is currently dependent primarily on legal parameters and on cost-effectiveness.
“We will definitely continue to promote the e-Diesel as it could help us to realise CO2-free mobility for all distances.”