BMW, Toyota, Bosch and Repsol have started a six-month pilot in Spain to show that ordinary petrol cars can run entirely on 100% renewable gasoline. Around 20 Toyota and BMW vehicles are being fuelled with Repsol’s Nexa 95, while Bosch tracks every litre digitally. The partners say the aim is to prove that renewable fuels can already be deployed at scale using today’s cars and filling stations.

Four industry names — the BMW Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Bosch and Repsol — have joined forces on a real-world experiment in Spain to test whether existing petrol cars can run exclusively on renewable fuel. The six-month pilot, which began in early July 2026, puts the idea of “Vehicles running Exclusively on Eligible Fuels” (VEEF) to a practical test rather than leaving it on the drawing board.

What the pilot involves

The project deploys a fleet of around 20 Toyota and BMW vehicles, all fuelled with Repsol’s Nexa 95, a 100% renewable gasoline. Bosch’s digital fuel tracking system, called the “Digital Fuel Twin”, records and verifies how the fuel is used. According to the partners, the cars are standard production models — existing Toyota and Lexus passenger cars supplied by Toyota España, plus BMW Group fleet vehicles — with no special hardware required.

Spain was chosen because Repsol is, by its own account, currently the only company selling 100% renewable gasoline at public service stations there. The company says its Nexa 95 fuel is made from feedstocks compliant with the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and is fully compatible with today’s petrol engines and infrastructure, functioning as a drop-in replacement for fossil fuel.

Three things it aims to prove

The partners have set three goals: showing that renewable gasoline is available in the market through Repsol’s network, that Bosch’s tracking and certification technology works across the fuel’s full lifecycle, and that fleets of ordinary vehicles can operate on renewable fuel today. Bosch’s system pulls refuelling data from several sources — the vehicles themselves, fuel stations and fuel-card transactions — to build what the company describes as transparent, verifiable proof of renewable-fuel use.

“With our ‘Digital Fuel Twin,’ Bosch is bringing full digital transparency to the entire fuel value chain to reliably track and verify the renewable fuels from the moment they enter the market right down to the end consumer. By precisely monitoring fuel usage on individual vehicles in real-time, we are building the foundation of trust and regulatory compliance needed for higher acceptance of renewable fuels in the mobility and transport sector”, says Dr Marko Babic, Head of Product Area at Bosch, in charge of the Digital Fuel Twin.

A play for technology neutrality

The timing is pointed. With EU policy currently centred on electrification and a target of 100% zero-emission new cars by 2035, the partners argue that renewable fuels deserve a complementary role. Toyota’s Pascal Ruch, Vice President Corporate & Governmental Affairs at Toyota Motor Europe, said there is “a growing risk” that the 2035 goal may not be fully met, and that renewable fuels — especially combined with hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology — could help bridge the gap for both new and existing vehicles.

BMW frames the pilot as part of its broader “technology openness” strategy. Dr. Stefan Heller, who heads development of the VEEF programme at the BMW Group, says the vehicles will help gather data on the most efficient powertrains for the future. Data and interim findings from the trial will be shared with EU policymakers, industry stakeholders and the media.

What it means

For the wider industry, the pilot is less about a single new model and more about the argument over how Europe decarbonises road transport. If the partners can show that everyday cars run cleanly on certified renewable fuel with no changes to vehicle or filling station, it strengthens the case that electrification need not be the only path — a debate that will shape regulation for years to come.

The pilot runs for six months, into early 2027, after which the partners plan to publish their findings.

Facts: BMW, Toyota, Bosch and Repsol renewable gasoline pilot

  • Location: Spain
  • Duration: Six months, started early July 2026
  • Fleet: Around 20 Toyota and BMW vehicles
  • Fuel: Repsol Nexa 95, 100% renewable gasoline (RED-compliant feedstocks)
  • Tracking: Bosch “Digital Fuel Twin”
  • Goal: Demonstrate that existing cars can run on renewable fuel at scale

Source: www.press.bmwgroup.com