Saturday Review: Hyrdrotreated vegetable oil goes a long way when it comes to replacing diesel

HVO stands for hydrotreated vegetable oil. It’s a second-generation biofuel that can replace, or mix in any proportion with, diesel in your tank. There’s no fuss so long as your car is HVO certified. You need to check that with your manufacturer.

If it does have compliance, you’re on your way to lower emissions and prolonging the use of diesel cars by driving a vehicle running on harmless waste materials. There is no need to do anything with the engine or software.

I’ve been driving a Skoda Karoq compact SUV on HVO. Skoda retains a lot of loyal diesel customers (large Kodiaq: 96pc diesel). That is despite talk of diesel being finished.

All its diesels are HVO-compatible for cars manufactured since the middle of 2021.

The Volkswagen Group has the same HVO compatibility as Skoda but says it is “firmly focused on offering battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel-efficient diesel and petrol-powered engines”.

BMW, meanwhile, says all its diesels from the 1 Series (F20), launched in 2011, onwards are approved for this type of fuel. A spokesperson said: “This is also true for all Mini diesel models 2014 onwards.”

Dacia Duster diesels can run on HVO too. You will see an “XTL” label on the inside of the filler flap which confirms this. Watch for “XTL” on Renault vans too. Opel diesel vehicles produced on Stellantis platforms since 2019 (Euro 6.2) can consume HVO fuels. Peugeot/Citroen/DS vehicles produced as far back as 2009 (Euro 5) can also use it.

My Karoq HVO had a two-litre diesel engine under the bonnet and a tankful of HVO at my disposal.

There was, I think, a far less pungent smell than diesel when I sniffed the tank initially (in the quiet surroundings of my driveway). It is described as odourless but if mixed with diesel, as was the case with me experimenting to see if the mix made any difference (it didn’t), the latter is bound to linger.

When I started up there was nothing discernible in terms of noise or vibration. It can be difficult to differentiate these days as diesel engines are so quiet you can be forgiven for thinking it is a petrol. This was as quiet as any diesel I have driven.

It is one of the great feelings in this job to be out there trying something different. I was full of admiration, knowing what was powering my test car: a mixture of anything from straw to animal fat waste, to used cooking oil to different wastes and residues from vegetable oil processing.

They will have been pre-treated to remove impurities so they can then be used as clean, raw materials that can be turned into renewable products. In simple terms, HVO is produced by treating waste plant-matter with hydrogen.

Unlike conventional biofuel, which uses methanol, hydrogen is used as a catalyst. And that makes it cleaner than any other fossil-fuel alternative currently available. That’s what is being claimed anyway.

The combination of materials and how they are treated means HVO does not release any additional harmful pollutants and can result in a 90pc net reduction in CO2 emissions.

Unfortunately, it commands a slightly higher price than diesel at the pumps, but for the moment the distributor, Certa (part of the DCC plc and one of the country’s biggest fuel suppliers), is matching prices.

It is important to remember that it can also power fleet, plant and farm machinery equipment as well as cars.

I found no difference in its driving performance than if I was using diesel. The car responded the same, there was no pinging or slouching of response from the two-litre, 116hp engine.

While there are only a handful of HVO outlets at the moment, expect to see many more pink pumps around the country as Certa undertakes a major push to establish the biofuel.

Among other things, the company is upgrading its network of 41 unmanned, pay@pump forecourts so that HVO will be available alongside other fuels.

I know plenty of diesel vehicle owners, many of them farmers, who feel they have no choice but to stick it out with diesel for as long as possible and hope for the best in a few years because right now it just doesn’t suit them to go with anything else.

Using HVO could prolong the life of diesels as viable alternatives to petrol, hybrid or electric.

It would be good if the Government cut the level of excise duty on HVO (it is the same as for diesel) to encourage greater uptake of a greener fuel. But while you’re waiting, try a tankful of HVO and see what you think. It will do no harm.

FACTFILE

Skoda Karoq compact SUV: 2-litre TDi, 116hp, 7spd automatic (DSG), 131g/km, 5.5 litres/100km on test with HVO and HVO-diesel, spare wheel, dual zone air-con, front/rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, rear-view camera, 18ins alloys, aluminium pedals/sills, dark tinted privacy glass, black thermoflux fabric upholstery, front sports seats, ambient lighting, keyless entry, panoramic sunroof (extra), wide range of safety and driver assists.

Test model price: €46,435. With options (€2,419).

Total price: €48,854.