Audi claims to have created ‘e-diesel’, a fuel that significantly reduces carbon emissions.
The sustainably-sourced, clean fuel uses water and carbon dioxide as its two biggest ingredients, according to a statement.
The Audi car owned by Germany’s Federal Minister of Education and Research, Johanna Wanka, runs on the e-diesel with no notable difference.
Science Alert has reported that the creation of e-diesel involves a three-step method.
The first step involves harvesting energy from renewable sources such as solar or hydropower. It then powers the process of reverse electrolysis, which involves the splitting of water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen.
The hydrogen thus harvested is then mixed with carbon monoxide sourced from the atmosphere to form what Audi calls its ‘blue crude’ e-diesel.
Mixing e-diesel with traditional diesel, Audi says, improve the efficiency of the cars.
Sunfire, a renewable energy firm based in Germany, analysed samples of the e-diesel and found that it achieved efficiency of 70 percent compared with that of standard diesel.
At present, Audi is producing only about 160 litres of e-diesel a day. But both Audi and Sunfire have plans to expand the plant at Dresden, to eventually sell the fuel to customers at a cost between €1-€1.50 per litre.
However, the price would fluctuate with the cost of renewable energies at the time the product is released into the market, the companies said.
Ajith Kumar S
editor@greentechlead.com