It’s not exactly the most environmentally friendly organization, but it’s trying to get a lot greener. F1 is targeting the end of the decade and has been for the last few years. F1 leaders aim to use only sustainable fuels in F1 cars. However, race cars are just one small piece of the puzzle. Holding two dozen grands prix around the world requires swapping cars, parts and other materials between circuits, creating more carbon emissions.
The Mercedes-AMG F1 team, however, has experienced with a way to reduce cargo emissions. It used hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO 100) biofuel in 16 trucks as it moved operations between Spa, Zandvoort and Monza for the last three European Grands Prix of the season. Since those circuits are relatively close to each other, Mercedes did not need to rely on, say, air freight to ship cars and components. That gave the team a good opportunity to test the biofuel, given a total driving distance of around 1,400 kilometers (870 miles). However, the team noted that it needed to use diesel fuel for the last 20 km (just over 12 miles) due to supply problems.
An analysis found that the use of HVO 100 reduced cargo emissions by 89 percent. Overall, Mercedes saved 44,091 kg (97,204 lb) of carbon dioxide emissions, compared to using diesel alone for both trips. He noted that HVO 100 is derived from vegetable oils, waste oils and fats and is completely free of fossil fuels. The fuel also produces less NOx and particulate emissions.
“Sustainability is at the heart of our operations. Testing the use of biofuels for our ground transportation is another example of our commitment to embed sustainability in every decision we make and every action we take,” said Mercedes F1 Team Principal Toto Wolff. vanguard of change and hope. we can make the adoption of sustainable technology possible as we are all in the race towards a sustainable tomorrow.”
Other biofuels are being tested for use in Formula 1. Teams began using E10 biofuels (containing 10 per cent renewable ethanol) in F1 cars this season as part of the transition to fully sustainable fuels. While that is far from using completely sustainable fuels, the use of E10 and HVO 100 are positive steps in making motorsport much healthier for the environment.
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