December 17, 2024 – BMW, echoing a similar strategy to Toyota, believes that a combination of various technologies is essential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the automotive industry. Effective from next January, BMW will, for the first time, pre-fill all its new diesel models produced in Germany with HVO 100 hydrogenated vegetable oil.
According to a report by Carscoops, this eco-friendly fuel, sourced from Neste Corporation in Finland, will be utilized across BMW’s manufacturing plants in Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg, and Leipzig. Remarkably, HVO 100 can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% over its entire lifecycle when compared to conventional fossil diesel. However, it’s worth noting that BMW’s diesel vehicles won’t leave the factory with a full tank; instead, they’ll be handed over to the sales department with an initial 5-8L of fuel.
Neste’s HVO 100 is crafted from various waste products, including used cooking oil, residues, and other renewable materials. Besides its eco-credentials, this fuel boasts better low-temperature starting performance than standard diesel. Many gas stations in Germany already offer this fuel, and BMW has been using it in some of its logistics trucks since March 2023.
Oliver Zipse, BMW’s Chairman, emphasized the importance of every ton of reduced CO2 in climate protection efforts. He pointed out that the over 250 million vehicles currently on European roads play a pivotal role. By increasing the renewable content of fuels, he believes their CO2 emissions can be significantly improved. BMW intends to continue this eco-friendly approach by filling all German-produced diesel models with HVO 100 from January 2025, a diesel alternative that can potentially reduce overall CO2 emissions by up to 90%.
