SunFuel to shine on VW range
February 13, 2007
This eco-friendly pump might seem corny, but biofuel made from straw, hay and even wood is on its wayThis eco-friendly pump might seem corny, but biofuel made from straw, hay and even wood is on its way
And VW, the jolly green giant behind its development, says it could hit the pumps as early as this year. The car maker says SunFuel, the latest synthetic petrol, can cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 per cent, dramatically reducing greenhouse gases.
It's also already compatible with VW's current line-up. Dr Wolfgang Steiger, who's in charge of powertrain research at the firm, told us: "We have run a Golf on this fuel for 60,000 kilometres and it was fine."
He said SunFuel would initially appear as a mixer with standard fuels, as with existing bioethanol and biodiesel, but added that higher concentrations of the new product could be used. "We will initially see blends of around 10 per cent, which is double the current level typically added," he said. "But as money is invested, mixture ratios will increase. There's no reason why we couldn't see dedicated SunFuel pumps at garages within 10 years."
Duty incentives of 20p per litre are currently used to encourage biofuel makers to increase production. But crop specialist Aaron Berry at the Department for the Environment says this will soon change. "When the Government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) is introduced in April next year, incentives will vary depending on the carbon savings being made," he said.
The RTFO states that five per cent of fuel sold on forecourts in 2010 should come from renewable sources.
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