Herndon, VA – Soybean-powered Volkswagens? Believe it. After years of laboratory development and intense trackside testing as the exclusive fuel during the Jetta TDI Cup series, Volkswagen is proud to announce B5 biodiesel is now covered under factory limited warranty for use in all diesel vehicles (Volkswagen is the first and only auto manufacturer to do this). A mixture of 95% regular diesel and 5% soybean derived biodiesel, B5 represents a more eco-conscious alternative to standard fossil fuels with substantially reduced emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
And that’s not all. Volkswagen’s commitment to biodiesel doesn’t begin and end with a limited warranty. Far from it. That’s why Volkswagen has partnered the primary producer of B5 biodiesel, Arthur Daniels Midland Company, to jointly undertake the development, testing and analysis of B20 biodiesel, a 20% biodiesel blend with the potential for increased efficiency, sustainability, and further reduction in particulate emissions.
11 Comments
1. Marko Niskanen | May 5, 2009 at 3:03 am
Good start VW! I’m looking for your investments in this area and hope you will soon start to support the development of bio-diesel made out of non-eatable flora and trash / all kinds of waste.
2. Marco Mazzoni | May 5, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Bravo VW! I have a 1985 Jetta diesel as well as a 1982 Vanagon Westfalia diesel and have been running B5 – B99 for several years. I will gladly purchase a new TDI Golf if VW certifies B20 for that vehicle.
3. Pedro García | May 7, 2009 at 9:54 am
Awesome! We have a 2004 Jetta TDI in the family running B99 with no problem! B20 would definitely be a great start!
4. Mark Meachen | October 30, 2010 at 8:10 am
I owned a 1998 model New Beetle TDI. I could run on 100% biodiesel. I now own a 2005 Golf TDI. It runs on B20 (20% biodiesel). Your current cars only run on B5 biodiesel (5%). VW, your going in the WRONG direction!
When will you be going to B10? B20? B30? B40? etc… It is past time that we do this. Cummings diesels are at B20 right now. When are you?
5. Gary Alibozek | December 22, 2010 at 9:17 pm
I wonder how VW can decide whether or not an owner used B5 or B99, while VW begins honoring a warranty item?Anyone can run B5 through their fuel system before bringing it back to the dealer?
6. Jean-Pierre Abello | March 5, 2011 at 2:39 am
Does this include also the more “common rail diesel” Golf TDI models 2009-2011?
7. Christina Vicari | June 15, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Just bought a 2011 Jetta TDI last night. i asked the dealer if it could accept biodiesel and they didn’t know…can anyone lead me to how i can confirm for sure, whether or not my car can take biodiesel fuel and if so- what kind? don’t want to do anything to mess up my new baby
8. Brent Ferguson | June 22, 2011 at 1:26 am
@ Christina: Congrats! I bought my new 2011 Golf TDI on the 14th so we’re in the same boat! In my owners manual it says that Bio Diesel mixtures greater that 5% (B11, B20 and B100) are prohibited. One would assume from that sentence that B5 is allowed.
9. Lucy Fitzgerald | September 5, 2011 at 12:03 am
I have a 2009 Jetta TDI and am wondering if I can use the biodiesel blends labeled “5 to 20 percent”. It looks like the state of Illinois is going completely biodiesel, with most of their pumps having B10 or higher. Does this mean I can’t fill up in Illinois?!?!?!?
10. Jonathan Malone | April 26, 2012 at 11:45 am
Think blue, live green. I realy want to see vw approuve B20 blends. Isuzu has approuved it in their commercial truck lines. Think vw’s tdi could as well and the racetrack is by far one of the best places to test out biodiesel under stressful conditions. Personsonally I would voluntere testing a tdi powerplant in a cold-wet climat of the upper NY state/Quebec/Vermont region as a drive regularly threw these rough climats with nightmarish winters and wet seasons. BTW VW will soon have a real diesel competator as Mazda is planning to import there 2.2l, 175hp with 310lbs/ft of torque Skyactiv-Diesel engine in there line-up. That means VW will have to offer us the TDi in there whole line-up (Tiguan, Beetle, etc) and with better financing rates or they will lose a large part of this market. Mazda is claiming 44MPG in the diesel version of the CX-5 suv overseas. VW will have to open up new engine plants to supply the TDi demande as this is the only powerplant that is in real demand.
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