A completely stock Mazda MX-5 recently demonstrated the potential for sustainable fuels by completing a 1,000-mile journey around the United Kingdom and running laps at four separate racetracks. Powered by SUSTAIN 100 Percent, a "fossil-free" fuel produced by Coryton from agricultural byproducts, it toured England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, lapping the circuits at Anglesey, Oulton Park, Knockhill, and Kirkistown.
Mazda monitored the car during the trip and each track session. It determined that there were no real performance differences running the car on SUSTAIN 100 Percent versus standard gasoline. Except for the track time, the MX-5 averaged almost 38 U.S. mpg during the journey.
Gallery: Mazda MX-5 Sustainable Fuel UK Tour
“We're delighted to have worked with Mazda UK on this project, which combined a great car with sustainable fuel to lower more than just lap times," said David Richardson, director at Coryton. "Drop-in sustainable fuels are ready now for everyday road cars with internal combustion engines. The product and technology is ready to go – the industry just needs support to help scale up operations."
Commenting on the event, Mazda Motors UK Managing Director Jeremy Thomson said: “This is a brilliant demonstration of how sustainable fuels can play a part in reducing automotive CO2 emissions if they became widely available."
Sustainable fuels are part of Mazda's Multi-Solution approach for its current and future products. Even though electric vehicles are heralded as the future, Mazda realizes that internal combustion engines will remain in use for decades to come. The company plans to build hybrid-electric vehicles well into the 2030s and expects demand for sustainable fuels to increase. Therefore it's investing in technology to support that demand while balancing the need for sustainability and climate neutrality.
Adoption of sustainable fuel hinges not only on demand from road vehicles but motorsports as well. To achieve that adoption, Mazda is also working with Motorsport UK and other organizations to promote sustainable fuels at all levels of racing.
