It was only a month or so ago when Audi made first usable litres of "e-diesel" out of electricity and carbon dioxide. Now we also have the "e-petrol" - fully synthetic petrol with no crude oil used in the manufacturing process. Ingredients include 100% isooctane with no heptane, benzene or sulphur. We can really call it a 100-octane petrol with very clean combustion and almost an ideal fuel for engines with high compression ratios and levels of efficiency.

Audi will perform lab tests of the new fuel, while their French partners Global Bioenergies develop an experimental production line for isobutane, the fundamental raw material for the "e-petrol" from recycling, in Pomacle near Reims. For now, it will be made out of biomass, later on water, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and solar energy will gradually replace it. For this project, Audi works with the Frauenhofer Institute for chemical and biotechnological processes from Leuna (Germany), where the conversion from the gas isobutene into liquid isooctane is made using hydrogen.