Audi Has Just Invented The Future Of Renewable Energy

Audi’s slogan is ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, which roughly translates as ‘Advancement through technology’ and judging by their latest breakthrough it’s something that the firm takes very seriously indeed because its new invention might just have saved the world.

At a research facility in Dresden, Germany, the car maker has managed to create the very first diesel fuel with a net-zero carbon footprint. That’s big. That potentially means that one day we might be able to make and use all the fuel we need but with none of those tiresome ice-cap melting properties.

The wunderbar fuel is made from carbon dioxide, water and renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power. It was created by breaking down steam into hydrogen and oxygen through high-temperature electrolysis. The hydrogen then reacts with CO2 to create a liquid called “blue crude.” This is then refined to make the e-diesel.

For those of you that understand these things, Audi have provided a handy infographic explaining each step of the process:

Germany’s Federal Minister of Education and Research test drove the fuel and called it, “a crucial contribution to climate protection and the efficient use of resources.”

Industrial scale production of the fuel is expected to begin in the near future.