P1 Fuels takes WRC-tested fossil-free fuel to Berlin streets
FIA World Rally Championship partner P1 Performance Fuels has begun supplying German governmental armoured vehicles and other official government cars with the same high-performance fossil-free fuels which had a successful debut in the WRC in 2022.
The fuel began being pumped by the Berlin-based P1 Performance Fuels at a selected SPRINT service station for the German government fleet of vehicles in the middle of January. It's the same product that's used in WRC, demonstrating the transitional process of research and development performed in the WRC to consumer usage.
The fossil-free, climate-neutral petrol blends synthetic and biodegradable elements, making it 100 per cent sustainable and usable in everyday road vehicles.
The availability of P1´s fossil-free, climate-neutral petrol blend of synthetic and biodegradable elements demonstrates the transitional process of research and development performed in the highly demanding WRC testbed, paving its way to consumer usage in everyday road vehicles.
"With this new offer, we are sending a clear signal: Climate-neutral operation of combustion engines is already possible," expressed P1 Fuels CEO Martin Popilka. He continued: "Together with policymakers, we must find ways to apply the technical solutions on a larger scale and make climate-neutral fuel attractive to consumers.
"This fuel is a necessary building block for Germany to become climate neutral by 2045, because some types of vehicles will still have to be powered by internal combustion engines. We invite government agencies to take an important first step now by running parts of their vehicle fleets on CO2-neutral fuel."
Upon the announcement of P1's new initiative, WRC Promoter managing director Jona Siebel reiterated the WRC's importance in research and development. “This is a perfect example and the ultimate proof of the transfer of technology from motorsports, in particular the WRC hub of innovation, to everyday mobility, contributing to reaching climate targets,” he said.
“The fact that our fuel partner P1 Performance Fuels can now offer the same fossil-free gasoline for federal government vehicles is also thanks to the development process under the extreme conditions of WRC events.”
The fuel is produced by P1 without the use of any fossil components via bio and synthetic methods. Biofuels are produced from plant waste, for example from agriculture. Synthetic fuels, also called e-fuels as an abbreviation for 'electrically-generated fuel', are produced industrially from the chemicals hydrogen and carbon. The electrical energy required to produce the fuel used in the WRC is obtained entirely from renewable sources such as wind and hydroelectric power.
The WRC will continue to use fossil-free, hydrocarbon-based fuel in the 2023 season.
