Volkswagen acquired Skoda in 1991 and the German parent company is usually regarded as leading the transition to battery powered cars; it had even been suggested back in 2018 that it would stop development of internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2026.
In the intervening six years, the anticipated rush by consumers to buy electric vehicles (EVs) has failed to materialise and registrations actually dropped, as a percentage in January 2024 compared to January 2023.
Overall, diesel-powered cars accounted for 22% of the passenger car registrations in Ireland, just ahead of electric on 19% 2023; Skoda enjoying a 22% share of that diesel car market.
The Czech company has taken note of these developments and has teamed up with Certa Ireland, a fuel company based in Portlaoise which supplies heating oil, diesel and lubricants throughout Ireland, to promote hydrogenated vegetable oil, or HVO, as an alternative to fossil-sourced diesel.
As a subsidiary of VW, it might come as some surprise to find Skoda taking this step, one which will only encourage the continuing use of diesel-powered cars.
However, both companies point out that the transition to electric vehicles is going to take time and so HVO and other synthetic fuels will have a part to play for some time yet.
It should also be noted that even after 2035, ICE-powered cars can still be sold, as long as they run only on carbon neutral fuels, a concession to Germany which insisted that the ICE did not disappear altogether.
HVO is said to have a 90% smaller carbon footprint than that of standard diesel, but as yet, there is no indication as to whether this will be considered as carbon neutral.
Skoda pushes fuel compatibility
The two companies are jointly promoting HVO through a public awareness campaign that will feature radio advertisements alongside HVO fuel vouchers with new diesel-powered Skoda cars.
These range in value from €250 to €500, depending on the model.
The campaign stresses that HVO is a drop-in replacement for diesel fuels, but also points out that all recent Skodas are “HVO ready” in a bid to reassure buyers that any warranty will not be voided by its use.
Laura Byrne, alternative fuel specialist for Certa, told Agriland that there are many other benefits to HVO, including a cleaner burn and longer shelf life, up to 10 years.
However, she did point out that should a tractor or transport fleet start using it, then it is advisable to clean the storage tank out first, as HVO has cleansing properties of its own and may flush contaminates out of the storage system into the engines filters, which are best changed around six to eight weeks after the switch.
Government view
Presently, HVO is subject to the same duty and taxes as standard diesel and while the fuel industry is lobbying for it to be treated on the basis of it being a renewable fuel, Andrew Graham, managing director of Certa, holds out little hope for there being a change in heart anytime soon.
Unfortunately, it does have a price premium of around 15% for the time being. Yet haulage companies working for retail brands are being asked to use it by their customers as part of their sustainability image, and there is every chance that this pressure may filter down to farm level as well.
Certa has been running its own trucks on HVO for over a year now. These range from brand new to 07 vehicles and the company is more than happy to back up the product and is fully confident of its safety and efficacy.
Although it is still a new product, Certa tells us that any end user wishing to purchase the fuel need wait no longer than a couple of working days for delivery, while motorists will see an expansion in the number of retail outlets over the coming months.