Toyota-ExxonMobil test new fuels with potential to reduce emissions by 75%

10:45 - 19 April 2023

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ExxonMobil and Toyota have formed a partnership to test out low-carbon fuels in gasoline engines, potentially offering a way for drivers to reduce emissions without upgrading to an electric vehicle.

“The fuel blends are made from cleaner feedstocks and could one day cut greenhouse gas emissions from internal combustion engines by as much as 75% compared with regular gasoline,” said Andrew Madden, ExxonMobil’s vice president for strategy and planning, citing initial trial results. The fuels proved compatible with Toyota vehicles, raising the prospect of a drop-in solution that could compete with battery-powered cars in future.

Though Madden added that the fuels are “very much at the test phase” and would require government policy support before becoming commercially available. They’re mostly a mix of existing feedstocks like renewable biomass and ethanol produced using cleaner processes, he said.

“Having a solution for liquid fuels that we can use in the existing fleet, having it in the kind of policy construct where we allow the market to innovate, is the lowest cost way to decarbonize transportation,” Madden said in an interview last week.

Battery-powered autos still face significant hurdles to mass adoption, such as the availability of charging stations, long recharge times and the high cost of new vehicles. Also, they’re not zero carbon if powered by grid electricity, which is typically generated by a mix of sources including natural gas and coal.

(Source: autonews.com)

Toyota-ExxonMobil test new fuels with potential to reduce emissions by 75%

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