Audi V6 diesel engines can now run on renewable fuel

We’re still years away before some automakers officially make the switch to an all-electric lineup. One of those is Audi. The German marque announced that 2025 will be the last year a new vehicle with an internal combustion engine will debut. Starting  2026, it will all be EVs for Audi, and by 2033, the production of vehicles with ICEs will come to an end.

It seems Audi isn’t just thinking of their electric future, though. The automaker wants to make their current lineup of vehicles run cleaner than before; particularly the diesel engines. Audi announced that the V6 diesel engines in current models are now cleaner and can run on renewable fuels.

According to the announcement, V6 TDI-powered vehicles that produce up to 286 PS leaving the company's factories as of the middle of February can be filled up with the HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) fuel. Audi claims using HVO fuel will result in the reduction of between 70 and 95 percent CO2 emissions as compared to regular diesel. Another advantage of HVO is its significantly higher cetane rating, which means more efficient and cleaner combustion in comparison to conventional diesel.

Matthias Schober, head of powertrain development for V-TFSI, TDI, and PHEV at Audi, says the cetane rating of HVO is around 30 percent higher than diesel, enhancing the combustion efficiency. He further adds that the positive effects of this are particularly noticeable when cold starting.

The HVO-compatible V6 engines are currently available in the A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q7, and Q8. Other models such as the Q5 and the A6 All-Road will follow soon. Aside from Audi, even Volkswagen models using the same engine can also run on sustainable fuel. Before the V6, Audi’s four-cylinder turbodiesel mills were also made to run HVO last year.

The idea of using renewable fuels for Audi's diesel V6 is cool and will make environmentalists happy. However, there aren’t that many fuel stations that carry HVOs and other forms and permutations of renewable fuels. In the Philippines, we don’t think there are any at all. Whether PGA Cars, the distributor of Audi in the country can (maybe) convince the government to consider this alternative fuel source remains to be seen. If they do, then Audi can chalk up another "first" in the Philippines as a brand, for the industry, and the country as a whole.