Mazda demonstrates everyday suitability of sustainable biofuels

In the Japanese Super Taikyu Series this year, Mazda Motor Corporation is entering the Mazda2 Bio Concept vehicle, which runs on sustainable next-generation biodiesel. The fuel used does not compete with food crops.

On the road to climate neutrality, the Japanese automaker is focusing not only on electric drives and highly efficient, electrified combustion engines but also on climate-neutral synthetic fuels.

Equipped with a Skyactiv-D four-cylinder diesel engine, the Mazda2 concept car fills up exclusively with 100 percent next-generation biodiesel. Called Susteo, the fuel is developed and supplied by Euglena. Mazda already successfully participated in the three-hour Super Taikyu Race in Okayama, Japan, in November 2021: the race car used there, powered by a 1.5-liter Skyactiv D diesel engine, used bio-based fuel made from used cooking oil and microalgae fats.

Promoting »green« fuel

In terms of sustainability, Mazda is taking a multi-solution approach: different technologies are designed to meet the different needs of drivers, while also taking regional characteristics into account. In addition to electrified vehicles - from classic hybrids to plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars - the Japanese automaker is therefore continuing to focus on vehicles with highly efficient combustion engines, which in the future will be able to run more and more on synthetic fuels. Mazda is therefore participating in initiatives for »green«, next-generation bio-based fuels.

Such biodiesel fuels are made from renewable resources such as microalgae and waste cooking oil that do not compete with food crops - a problem with previous biofuels. The new fuels can be used as an alternative to conventional diesel in existing vehicles and equipment without conversions or additional infrastructure. As a result, such biodiesel could play an important role on the road to CO2 neutrality.
Mazda is driving development as a member of the "Your-Green-Fuel" project in Hiroshima. The initiative, launched largely by the Hiroshima Council for Automotive Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration (Hirojiren) and Euglena, promotes the use of next-generation biofuels.

In Europe, Mazda is also a member of the eFuel Alliance, an initiative that supports the development and production of carbon-neutral liquid fuels based on renewable electricity.