BMW: First refuelling of new diesel cars with HVO100

Openness to technology is a top priority for the BMW Group. In addition to the wide range of drive technologies, the aim is to reduce CO₂ emissions in all areas.

According to its own statement, the company is convinced that all available technologies are needed to reduce CO₂ throughout the entire supply chain. For BMW, there is potential for CO₂ reduction in the area of fuels that are not based on fossil fuels. In future, new diesel cars from the Group's German plants will be refuelled with HVO100 after leaving the assembly line.

This is a non-fossil diesel fuel made from biological residues and waste materials. Many Stellantis and Toyota models can also be refuelled with HVO100. 

BMW Group Diesel ex works with HVO 100

Photo by: BMW

"When it comes to climate protection, every tonne of CO saved counts₂. The more than 250 million existing vehicles in Europe are an important factor here: their CO₂ balance could be significantly improved if the proportion of regenerative fuels were increased. To this end, we are taking action in advance: from January 2025, we want to refuel all diesel models produced in Germany with HVO 100 before delivery to dealers - a high-quality diesel substitute with up to 90% lower CO₂e emissions in the overall balance," says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the BMW Board of Management.

The abbreviation HVO stands for "Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil" and the suffix 100 indicates that it is filled with 100 per cent pure fuel. The BMW factories in Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig use "Neste MY Renewable Diesel" HVO 100.

According to BMW, the fuel from Finnish manufacturer Neste can achieve a CO2e reduction of up to 90 per cent ("well to wheel") compared to fossil diesel. The initial filling at the plants before delivery to the BMW dealer organisation is five to eight litres, depending on the model, and thus affects more than half of all diesel vehicles produced by the BMW Group each year.

Gallery: BMW 520d Touring (2024) first drive

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Source: Motor1.com

Since the end of May 2024, paraffinic diesel HVO may also be sold at petrol stations in Germany. The fuel is obtained from various wastes, residues and renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oils. It fulfils the highest quality and sustainability standards. Neither palm oil nor conventional biodiesel is used in its production.

Compared to fossil diesel, HVO100 is a higher quality product with many technical advantages: In addition to CO2 reduction, HVO100 has significantly better cold behaviour due to its chemical properties and is also resistant to bacterial infestation (diesel plague) due to its purity.

The BMW Group is committed to ambitious quotas of at least 30 per cent real greenhouse gas reduction in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), which must be transposed into national law by the end of May 2025.

More about HVO:

Vegetable diesel: How much CO2 does it save?

VW won't give up on diesels, TDI can now run on paraffinic fuel

Audi V6 diesel engines can now run on hydrotreated vegetable oil

F1 to trial own paddock power station to slash carbon emissions

The BMW Group's diesel engines, all of which are developed at the Steyr site and almost exclusively manufactured here, have been approved for the new fuel in accordance with the European fuel standard EN 15940, starting with the production month of March 2015 for specific model series and models. Customers can find detailed information on this here.

The Group is constantly checking the compatibility of new fuels for its engines. For diesel engines, in addition to HVO100, B10 and all eFuels are also approved within the EN590 fuel standard - for petrol engines, E25 and eFuels are approved within the EN228 fuel standard.

The use of higher regenerative components in petrol engines is also a potentially important contribution to CO₂ reduction. However, according to BMW, the EU must extend the upper limit currently stipulated in the outdated Fuel Quality Directive from E10 to E20 or E25.

The BMW Group is a new member of the eFuel Alliance. Together, the partners want to advocate a pragmatic regulatory framework and a rapid market ramp-up of renewable fuels. The collaboration is also intended to encourage other industry representatives to recognise renewable fuels as a further complementary technology path.