Audi Tweaks Existing Models To Run On Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil

That oil you use for deep-frying? It can be processed to make diesel for cars.

Audi is one of the several automakers accelerating into a future of fuels powered by hydrogenation. It has modified several of its six-cylinder diesel engines to use hydrotreated vegetable oil.

Hydro-what? We’re glad you asked; you’ll be seeing this term a lot more often as car companies abandon fossil fuels. Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is essentially the leftovers of waste oil—which may include residual cooking oil or agriculture waste—that’s been treated with hydrogen to be usable by cars. According to GreenFleet, the oil can be used on its own or mixed with the traditional diesel.

The company has tweaked vehicles with V6 diesel engines that go up to 282 horsepower (210 kilowatts) to be filled up with HVO. Compatible engines are those leaving Audi’s factories from mid-February.

With the sustainable oil, carbon emissions can be reduced by 70% to 95% as opposed to fossil fuels, says Audi. In addition, this alternative has a much higher cetane rating, ensuring more efficient combustion.

The overall outlook for Audi is looking a little greener. It says that it will release its final new combustion-engined vehicle in 2025 before going all-electric in 2026. It will finally stop manufacturing fossil fuel-based cars in 2033.

[via Motor1 and GreenFleet, cover photo 127142120 © Josefkubes | Dreamstime.com]