The times, they are a-changin’, thanks to ever-increasing environmental regulations and other pressure from special interest groups. That means that even racing, the last bastion of convention-shrugging petrolheads, is getting greener. BMW Motorrad is on trend here, introducing a new synthetic fuel, or “efuel,” for 2024. The fuel is intended for use in World Superbike, to meet new regulations in that series.
The new efuel is the result of a joint project between BMW Motorrad Motorsport and NORDOEL. The announcement of this new fuel came out in April, 2023; in the months since, BMW and their partners have been working hard at R&D in their European engine labs, and then track testing. The first on-track usage of the fuel (which is called RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A) came this winter, at Portimao and Jerez in January.
Here’s what BMW had to say about the fuel, before its first appearance in a WSB race:
During the tests in southern europe, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, and BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team optimised the efficiency and performance of the alternative fuel for motorsports. The competitiveness and readiness for use of the regenerative fuel RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A, with a minimum of 40% “non-fossil” content as mandated by the FIM regulations for 2024, were confirmed. Thus, the RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A becomes the first regenerative fuel based on MtG (Methanol-to-Gasoline). Development work continues to deepen the insights from previous experiments and identify potential areas for optimisation.
The partnership between BMW Motorrad Motorsport and NORDOEL remains a pioneer in the development of sustainable technologies in motorsports. Both companies are firmly committed to further reducing the environmental impact in racing.
Of course, BMW is not the only OEM using efuel in World Superbike this year—everyone’s on synthetic fuel, thanks to new FIM regs.
40% is not 100%
How much per litre?