France – TotalEnergies is developing a renewable fuel for motorsport competition based on grapes. To be introduced from next season at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022.
Competition is a key driver for innovation. The extreme constraints met in endurance racing –race duration and high mileage- are constantly pushing for the development of higher-performance fuels. Which however must also address nowadays the new challenges posed by the energy and environmental transition.
This 100% renewable fuel to be offered by TotalEnergies will be produced on bioethanol basis, made from wine residues from the French agricultural industry. And from ETBE produced at TotalEnergies’ Feyzin refinery near Lyon (France) from feedstock also sourced from the circular economy. This fuel should allow an immediate reduction of at least 65% of the racing cars’ CO2 emissions.
Named “Excellium Racing 100”, this fuel will have all the required qualities for a racing fuel and will meet automakers’ requirements. As well as the latest FIA criteria for sustainable fuels.
Hydrogen
Since 2018, TotalEnergies is the partner and official fuel supplier of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (A.C.O.), creator and organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since their beginning, the 24 Hours of Le Mans are a laboratory for automotive development : security, evolution of motorizations and fuels, aerodynamism, fuels consumption reduction, hybridation…
The forthcoming introduction of a 100% renewable fuel will complete this partnership between TotalEnergies and the ACO in the promotion of new energies. Hydrogen partner of the ACO the H24 Racing team, TotalEnergies designed and build the first mobile hydrogen filling station, to support Mission H24 in the competition it is engaged in.
