BMW Group's HVO test fleet logs 5,500+ refueling events with over 80% renewable diesel use in first year
Over 600 BMW and MINI diesel vehicles have validated BMW Group's "VEEF-only" concept in real-world use, with more than 80 percent of refueling events documented as HVO.
- over 600
- over 5,500
- approx. 235,000 liters
- 6,130
What Happened
The HVO Test- and Demo fleet run by the BMW Group and its partners reported its first successful interim results in October 2026. Over 600 BMW and MINI vehicles with highly efficient diesel engines tested the company's technology for a "VEEF" vehicle category under real-world conditions. VEEF stands for "Vehicles Exclusively running on Eligible Fuels." The fleet was launched in October 2025 at the "Fleet Europe Days" trade show in Luxembourg.
All BMW Group diesel models produced in Germany begin being filled with unblended HVO before delivery to dealerships.
The Test- and Demonstration fleet launches at the "Fleet Europe Days" trade show in Luxembourg.
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ), FREYBERGER engineering GmbH and BMW AG present a study on Europe's renewable fuel market potential.
BMW Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Repsol and Bosch start a Spanish pilot testing exclusive use of 'Nexa 95' petrol in around 20 vehicles in the Greater Madrid area.
First interim results reported: more than 5,500 refueling events and an HVO usage rate above 80 percent.
At the heart of the technology, data on the refueling process from the vehicle is cross-referenced with data from the fleet operator's payment systems and, for part of the fleet, additionally with fuel station data from Bosch's Digital Fuel Twin. This allows seamless tracking, via multiple digital channels, of which fuel the vehicle has refueled with. All refueling transactions and fuel type data are reliably documented centrally by the BMW Group. Since launch, the vehicles have been in use in the corporate fleets of the BMW Group as well as Bosch in Germany, Eni in Italy and Repsol in Spain.
over 80percent
Share of the more than 5,500 refueling events in which HVO was verifiably used, across over 600 vehicles and 12 months.
- More than 5,500 refueling events across over 600 vehicles were recorded while accurately detecting the type of fuel dispensed.
- Approximately 235,000 liters of HVO were refueled.
- In more than 80 percent of refueling events, HVO was verifiably used.
- The result drew on steadily growing HVO availability across Europe: as of October, HVO is available at 6,130 stations, including more than 1,700 Enilive stations in Europe.
“We want to consistently harness the CO2 reduction potential offered by renewable fuels in Europe. To this end, our team has developed a technical solution that has been tested under real-world conditions in four countries across more than 600 vehicles over the past 12 months. The results speak for themselves: During this period, we were able to consistently document more than 5,500 refueling events with a HVO usage rate exceeding 80 percent. And this was achieved without any hardware modifications to the vehicles and without new infrastructure at the gas stations. We therefore consider the technical feasibility of a VEEF-only fleet to be proven. This sends a strong signal to policymakers to promote technology openness and to set the course for the future and resilience of the industry, especially in Europe.”
Since January 2025, all BMW Group diesel models produced in Germany have been filled with unblended HVO before being delivered to dealerships. "Neste MY Renewable Diesel" HVO is used at the BMW Group plants in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig; the fuel from the Finnish manufacturer Neste enables a CO2e reduction of up to 90 percent ("well-to-wheel") compared with fossil diesel. To raise awareness about renewable fuels, BMW Italia is giving an Enilive HVO voucher to all private customers of new BMW diesel vehicles in Italy. The BMW Group has long certified its vehicles for HVO in accordance with EN 15940, B10 and eFuels in accordance with EN 590 for diesel engines, and E20/25 and eFuels in accordance with EN 228 for gasoline engines.
Why this matters
The trial suggests cars with modern diesel engines can cut CO2 using renewable fuel without hardware changes or new filling-station infrastructure, giving fleet operators an alternative route to decarbonization alongside electrification. BMW says the results also send a signal to European policymakers to promote technology openness.
Terms in This Story
- HVO
- A renewable diesel fuel made from biological feedstocks that can replace fossil diesel; BMW cites the EN 15940 standard for its use.
- VEEF
- Short for "Vehicles Exclusively running on Eligible Fuels" — a vehicle category BMW is testing in which cars run only on approved renewable fuels.
- Well-to-wheel
- A way of measuring emissions over a fuel's full life cycle, from production to use in the vehicle.
- CO2e
- Carbon dioxide equivalent, a unit that expresses the climate impact of different greenhouse gases on a common scale.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.