Volkswagen for alcohol in fuel
Volkswagen in favour of an increasing addition of bioethanol to petrol
Wolfsburg/Berlin, 12 January 2006 - In International Green Week Volkswagen is pressing the case for the increasing addition of bioethanol to petrol. As the developer of innovative engine concepts such as TSI, FSI, and TDI, Volkswagen was quick to see the need for a continuing development of modern fuels. The objective throughout is to reduce the use of fossil energy resources by replacing them with regenerative fuels. This helps to preserve existing mineral oil reserves and actively contributes to CO2 reduction and protection of the climate.
It is envisaged that biogenic raw materials will be used in the future for the production of those fuels that are already sold at existing filling stations and can be used by today's cars.
"Volkswagen's innovative drive concepts are already capable of using an up to ten percent volume blend of bioethanol in petrol (E10) within the specifications of a future fuel standard. Volkswagen is promoting the increasing spread of biogenic fuels with its modern engine technology that is prepared for the use of ethanol blend fuels. This is an important element in our future-oriented fuel strategy." stresses Matthias Rabe, Head of Group Research at Volkswagen AG.
At the International Green Week the Golf GT with its newly developed TSIŽ technology is the prime example of this. TSIŽ combines the two forced induction concepts, compressor and turbocharger, in a direct injection petrol engine. By developing this extremely powerful and economical unit, Volkswagen demonstrates that E10 blended fuel can already be used in the most progressive direct injection petrol engines.
As the optimum solution to provide the fuel quality demanded by modern petrol engines, Volkswagen favours the use of bioethanol in the form of ETBE (ethyl tertiary butyl ether) in accordance with the valid fuel standard DIN EN 228 (15 percent ETBE or five percent ethanol by volume). The objectives of the EU biofuel directive for 2010, however, require an extension of the existing fuel standard. Meeting them will require a higher proportion of up to roughly nine percent ethanol by volume in petrol. Volkswagen is therefore actively supporting the drafting of a suitable European standard for the future E10 fuel.
"Greater use of biomass for fuel production, as set out in the federal government's fuel strategy, makes a major contribution to energy security and CO2 reduction. Volkswagen is backing this strategy with its support for higher ethanol concentrations of up to ten percent in petrol ethanol blends. This is another step in our fuel strategy towards the introduction of 2nd generation biofuels with much higher rates of CO2 reduction, such as ethanol from lignocellulose or SunFuel, a synthetic diesel fuel produced from biomass“, said Mr Rabe.
Volkswagen backs a uniform system of tax on biofuels and their blends according to sustainability criteria.
Also the European Parliament's EU Biofuel Directive 2003/30/EG demands the replacement of 5.75 percent of petrol and diesel fuel energy in the transport sector with biofuels by the end of 2010. This will be initially implemented using ethanol and biodiesel (RME). On this issue Volkswagen's preference is for blends with today's petrol and diesel fuels based on existing or future standards as opposed to use of pure biofuels. For Volkswagen the broad Europe-wide use of ethanol blend fuel is the most economically effective way to achieve a wide-scale and quick introduction onto the market by 2010, not least due to the existing infrastructure.
More information on Volkswagen's fuel and drives strategy is available at www.sunfuel.de
