BMW and Toyota have begun a six-month trial in Spain to find out whether existing petrol cars can run exclusively on renewable fuel under everyday conditions.
Around 20 BMW, Toyota and Lexus vehicles will use Repsol Nexa 95 petrol during the programme, which started in early July. No vehicle modifications are required.
Bosch will track each fill-up through its Digital Fuel Twin system. It draws information from the cars, filling stations and fuel-card transactions, creating a record intended to verify which fuel was used and where it came from.
That tracking is central to the project. BMW, Toyota, Bosch and Repsol want to show European regulators that cars restricted to approved renewable fuels could be monitored reliably under a proposed category known as Vehicles Exclusively Running on Eligible Fuels.
Spain was chosen because Nexa 95 is already sold there. Repsol said it was the country’s only supplier of 100% renewable petrol through public filling stations when the trial began.
The fuel is made from feedstocks that meet European Union sustainability requirements and can be dispensed through existing infrastructure. Repsol separately claims Nexa 95 cuts net carbon dioxide emissions by more than 70% against conventional petrol over its lifecycle.
Renewable petrol still produces exhaust emissions when burned; the claimed reduction depends on how its raw materials are sourced and processed.
The trial will also feed into Europe’s debate over vehicle emissions rules. Its backers argue that renewable fuels could reduce the carbon footprint of combustion-engined cars already on the road and work alongside battery-electric vehicles.
The project remains small. It covers about 20 vehicles in one country, while neither fuel prices nor supply volumes were disclosed. Interim findings will be presented to policymakers, industry representatives and the media.
