The German automaker isn’t finished with its oil burner yet.
Volkswagen announced that the latest generation of four-cylinder diesel engines has been approved for use in paraffinic fuels. This is a new diesel fuel that includes bio-components. The automaker claims that paraffinic fuels will allow for a significant reduction in carbon emissions, around 70 to 95 percent less than conventional diesel.
The press release is primarily focused on fleet vehicles. The German marque stated that all VW models with four-cylinder diesel engine (TDI) since June 2012 are now approved for use with paraffinic diesel fuels. These models include the Tiguan TDI and the eighth generation Golf in GTD flavor.
“We are making it possible for customers across Europe to reduce their CO2 emissions by using environmentally friendly fuels in approved Volkswagen models,” said Prof. Thomas Garbe, Head of Petrol Diesel Fuels at Volkswagen. Paraffinic fuels are a good alternative, especially for mixed fleets that include models with both electric and conventional drives,” stated Prof. Thomas Garbe from Volkswagen’s Head of Petrol and Diesel Fuels.
Paraffinic fuels can be made from biological residual or waste materials, such as hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO). HVO and other biofuels are already on the European market. They are expected to grow their market share to 20-30 percent within the next ten year.
C.A.R.E, NEXTBTL and HVO are examples of paraffinic diesel fuels that are already on the market.
The diesel option is also available in a more widely-available variant, with paraffinic parts. These diesels are expected to meet the EN590 requirements. Examples are Diesel R33, V-Power Diesel, OMV MaxMotion, and Aral Ultimate Diesel. The latter can be used by all diesel-fed engines, even older ones.