BMW and Toyota Join Forces to Test Renewable Gasoline in Spain

BMW and Toyota are teaming up again, but this time it's not about building a new sports car. Together with Bosch and Spanish energy company Repsol, they've launched a six-month pilot program in Spain to test vehicles running on what they call 100% renewable gasoline. The fuel, branded Nexa 95, is already available at 30 stations across the country, and the goal is to prove it can work in everyday driving conditions.

Twenty standard production cars from both automakers will hit regular roads, with Bosch tracking fuel consumption, emissions, and the fuel's full lifecycle. Repsol says the gasoline cuts net CO2 emissions by 70% compared to regular gas, though the company won't fully disclose what's in it, only hinting at used cooking oil and other renewable feedstocks.

A second production plant is expected to open this year, and Repsol already offers sustainable diesel at hundreds of stations, aiming for 600 by 2026.

So why run a pilot on a fuel already for sale? The real target is Brussels. Toyota and BMW want to convince EU regulators that renewable gasoline can be a practical, immediate alternative to full electrification. Pascal Ruch. Toyota Europe's VP for government affairs, put it plainly: renewable fuels can help bridge the gap if the 2035 zero-emission vehicle target proves unattainable.

With the EU recently softening its proposed combustion engine ban, allowing low-emission fuels after 2035, this test could shape policy and keep gas-powered cars on the road, cleaner than ever.