Audi A3 TDI Runs on Synthetic Diesel

With electricity slowly taking over a world until now ruled by the all mighty oil, it's no wonder fans and supporters of the good old internal combustion engine (ICE) try to find as many ways as possible to keep the technology which drove the past century to its completion going.

The single way in which the ICE will survive is moving as far away from the regular fuel, be it diesel or petrol, and embrace alternative fuels, including synthetic ones. Some companies are already hard at work to achieve this.

Rentech, a clean energy solutions provider and the creator of the synthetic RenDiesel fuel, is one of those companies. By using two Audi A3 TDI, some RenDiesel and 1,000 miles of open road across California, Rentech managed to prove the viability of the fuel.

“We are proud to have partnered with Audi and Green Car Journal on this successful 1,000 mile journey which demonstrated that domestically produced synthetic RenDiesel is a viable solution today to reducing vehicle tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions,” D. Hunt Ramsbottom, Rentech CEO said in a statement.

“The environmental and performance benefits of RenDiesel seen while driving the Audi A3 TDI show promise for a clean diesel energy future.”

The two Audis were fueled for the test run only with RenDiesel, a fuel produced, in this case from natural gas (synthetic fuel can be made from pretty much anything, starting with biomass gass and ending with waste).

During the test run, the two A3 TDIs achieved 39.7 mpg (5.9l/ 100 km) and 43 mpg (5.4l/100 km), respectively, pretty much the same as if the cars were to use regular diesel.