Audi is carrying out an ambitious electrification plan. However, this does not mean that it has stopped working on its internal combustion engines, even the diesel ones. Always with the aim of get to reduce polluting emissions, the house of the 4 rings has strengthened the sustainability of its combustion engines. The German manufacturer, therefore, announced that i 6-cylinder engines diesels are now set up for the use of renewable HVO fuel (hydrotreated vegetable oil).
As indicated by the ‘Vorsprung 2030’ plan, from 2026 Audi will launch exclusively new full electric models on the global market. The House of the Four Rings will make an essential contribution to the goal of zero-emission mobility. At the same time, we are developing the current portfolio of combustion engines for higher efficiency and lower emissions. One of the possible technical solutions is compatibility with the use of sustainable fuels such as HVO.
REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS
The automaker explains that its V6 diesel engines with power up to 286 hp products from mid-February can be refueled with HVO fuel according to the European standard EN 15940. The HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), highlights the manufacturer, is a sustainable fuel that allows a reduction of CO2 emissions between 70 and 95% compared to fossil diesel.
Since the cetane number of the HVO is about 30% higher than the standard, the thermal efficiency is significantly optimized. The positive effects are particularly noticeable in the event of a cold start. Before giving the green light to the new fuel, we tested the effects on multiple components and measured both performance and exhaust emissions, obtaining noteworthy results.
Audi also explained how this fuel is obtained. Waste materials such as cooking oil used by the food industry or agricultural residues are an integral part of the production of HVO. By incorporating hydrogen through a hydrogenation process, the oils are converted into aliphatic hydrocarbons, suitable for use in diesel engines. They can be added to conventional diesel, replacing fossil components, or used 100% pure.
COMPATIBLE MODELS
As we mentioned at the beginning, this renewable fuel is accepted on diesel V6s with power up to 286 HP produced from February 2022 and present in the A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q7 and Q8 ranges. The German brand adds that compatibility for the Audi Q5 3.0 TDI will follow at the beginning of March and thereafter will be the turn of the 245 hp Audi A6 allroad quattro step. In addition, in Europe, the HVO is also compatible with the 4-cylinder diesel engines of Audi A3, Audi Q2 and Audi Q3 produced from June 2021. As for the models based on the MLB platform, the four-cylinder TDI of the ranges A4, A5 , A6, A7 and Q5 can be refueled with HVO since the middle of last year in Sweden, Denmark and Italy.
But where can you find petrol stations that make this fuel available? Currently, the HVO is available at 600 service stations mainly located in Scandinavia. Network which, however, will be expanded over time.
