2021 was not only a spectacular truck racing season, it also marked an important milestone for the pan-European Championship. The FIA ETRC switched to a 100% sustainable fuel, becoming the first-ever FIA-regulated championship to do so.
HVO stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil and is a premium fossil-free diesel product made of 100% renewable raw materials. It reduces the CO2 emissions by a minimum of 65% and up to 90% over the entire life cycle of the product.
The biodiesel has proven itself under the most extreme racing conditions, without impacting the performance on track. “As a driver on the circuit you don’t really feel much difference, it feels exactly the same,” said reigning FIA ETRC champion Norbert Kiss. “If you didn’t know what’s in the tank you couldn’t tell it apart.”
In the ETRC Truck Talk, in cooperation with the International Truck of the Year Jury (ITOY), Pascal Girard, Head of Technical Matters for the FIA Circuit Championships talked to French jury member Fabien Calvet about the HVO biofuel, how it’s produced, its environmental benefits and how it hasn’t affected the action on track. Watch Video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewfLl-f-qq8
The transition to a fuel fully originated from renewable sources in the FIA ETRC was a first important step into a new era and proof that it is possible to take actions for lower GHG emissions with commercial vehicles on the road, which is demonstrated on the track.
The change reflects FIA ETRC’s strive to become a leading platform for sustainable technologies in the road haulage industry and at the same time making truck racing a relevant research and development platform for manufacturers.
