Bentley used biofuel for all its automobiles at Goodwood, no engine mods wanted

Bentley has pledged that by 2026 its automobile lineup will likely be all electrified with both hybrid or battery-electric powertrains, and that by 2030 it will be completely BEV. Nonetheless, with a legacy that dates again to its founding in 1919, Bentley additionally has a vested curiosity in seeing its classics stay drivable. That is why the corporate is the newest to get into biofuels.

On the current Goodwood Pageant of Velocity, each Bentley automobile that climbed the hill did so with renewable fuels. That is 32 runs with six totally different automobiles, from the W12 Batur that charged up the driveway in 55 seconds to the 103-year previous Bentley EXP2. Inbuilt 1920, it is the oldest surviving Bentley. The most effective a part of all is that no modifications needed to be made to any of the automobiles, thus preserving the classics’ originality.

The biofuel is alleged to be 100% renewable and meets Europe’s EN228 commonplace that makes it successfully equal to gasoline. Not like first-generation biofuels, which have been derived from meals crops, these second-gen biofuels use solely waste from farming, forestry, and the meals business. The scraps are fermented to create ethanol, which is then dehydrated into ethylene, which is in flip transformed to gasoline. Bentley estimates that these biofuels scale back CO2 emissions by 85% in comparison with simply burning straight petroleum-based gasoline.

Bentley has additionally put in a 320-gallon biofuel tank at its Crewe headquarters location, which homes its design studio, R&D facility, and manufacturing traces. Notably, the location can also be dwelling to the agency’s Heritage Assortment, all of that are saved in operable situation. It would use the biofuel to proceed working its classics, in addition to its press fleet. 

The corporate estimates that 84% of all Bentleys ever constructed are nonetheless on the highway. As we transfer into the age of electrification analysis into biofuels, just like what Porsche is doing with artificial fuels, will assist hold historic automobiles on the highway whereas retaining their essences in tact.

Associated Video