The Green Blog Network: Eureka! Audi Green Car of The Year Runs On Synthetic Diesel Fuel

Audi, Rentech, Inc., and the Green Car Journal are partnering to drive two Audi A3 TDIs the length of California, powered exclusively by low-carbon, synthetic RenDiesel® fuel produced by Rentech, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: RTK). The tour promotes advanced clean diesel and demonstrates the ability of the Audi A3 TDI to run on synthetic clean diesel for greater efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The Audi A3 TDI® is Green Car Journal's 2010 Green Car of the Year®.

OK. There are as many trademark symbols in that above paragraph as there are sentences but bottom line is that a consumer friendly car built by a household name automobile manufacturer was driven the length of California this week using synthetic renewable diesel fuel.

Audi Green Car of The Year runs on sythetic diesel fuel. Photo courtesy Steve Jennings for WireImage.

“California was the first state to implement a low carbon fuel standard, and we continue to see innovation, investment and job creation in our state because of this commitment,” said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who also had Mary Nichols, of the California Air Resources Board on hand for the Sacramento Capitol Steps press event.

The four-day, 1,000 mile journey kicked off on Monday in Eureka. The following event in Sacramento included a tour of the Audi A3 TDIs; a display of RenDiesel® exhibiting the ultra-clean nature of the synthetic fuel; and remarks by the Governor and executives from Rentech, Audi and the Green Car Journal.

: L-R Mary Nichols, Bradley Stertz of Audi, Hunt Ramsbottom of Rentech and Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Audi has long embraced environmental stewardship, most recently with this clean diesel journey to demonstrate that RenDiesel® works with existing diesel engines and that today’s Audi TDI technology can achieve its customary performance using a synthetic fuel.

The emissions produced by combustion of RenDiesel® are lower in particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and carbon dioxide (CO_²), compared to petroleum-based fuels. In addition, RenDiesel® produces fewer emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) than ethanol or traditional clean diesel and has the potential to be twice as fuel-efficient as a car running on ethanol.

: All photos courtesy Steve Jennings, Wire Image.

The “Eureka! Diesel Driving the Future” will celebrate the 1,000-mile journey’s conclusion with a clean diesel panel discussion at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

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