At the start of July 2026, around 20 Toyota and BMW vehicles began running exclusively on Repsol’s Nexa 95, described as 100% renewable petrol. Officially announced on July 15, the six-month pilot brings together Toyota Motor Europe, BMW Group, Repsol and Bosch to test the fuel in real-world driving and assess whether existing vehicles can use it without engine modifications or changes to Spain’s refueling infrastructure.
Toyota España is providing Toyota and Lexus passenger cars, while BMW is contributing vehicles from its fleet. Every participating car is to use only Nexa 95 during the trial. The companies have not disclosed the specific models or planned mileage, so the test focuses broadly on everyday usability and compatibility rather than a publicly detailed model-by-model protocol.
Renewable Fuel Under Scrutiny
Nexa 95 is made from non-petroleum feedstocks described as renewable or residual biomass. Repsol says the fuel meets European sustainability criteria and can reduce lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions compared with conventional fossil petrol. “100% renewable” refers to the origin of the fuel’s feedstocks and its lifecycle accounting; it does not mean a combustion engine produces no emissions at the exhaust. Vehicles burning the fuel still emit carbon dioxide and other tailpipe pollutants.
Bosch is providing traceability for the trial through its Digital Fuel Twin system. The technology cross-checks vehicle information with fuel-card or refueling data to verify that participating cars use the authorized fuel, instead of relying solely on driver declarations. It also helps collect data on fuel consumption and vehicle operation.
Testing Without Major Changes
A basic question is whether renewable petrol can work in current vehicles and through Spain’s existing refueling network without major mechanical changes. If so, drivers could use the fuel without buying a new car or relying on new charging infrastructure. The trial also examines how digital fuel tracking works in practice and whether the fuel is available in the market.
The approach echoes the operational focus seen in other Spanish transport initiatives, including the precision and flexibility of firefighting pilots described in this report on Spain’s Canadair water bomber crews.
Complement to Electric Cars
Repsol, Toyota, BMW and Bosch describe renewable petrol as a complement to electric vehicles. With combustion-engine cars expected to remain on the road for years, the companies argue that renewable fuels could lower lifecycle emissions from part of the existing fleet as electrification expands. The pilot tests practical compatibility; it does not establish that renewable petrol should replace electric mobility.
As of October 2026, the six-month trial was still underway, and Toyota had not released results. Fuel economy and engine reliability, along with durability and emissions performance in the participating models, remain open questions until the study is complete. The companies will also need to assess whether production and distribution can scale to meet demand: compatibility with existing engines and stations alone would not establish commercial viability.
Spain as a Testing Ground
Repsol says it is the only supplier offering 100% renewable petrol at public service stations in Spain, making the country a practical setting for the pilot. Using the existing network, the test examines whether the fuel can work as a drop-in option, with drivers filling up as usual and without modifications to engines or stations.
The pilot is also part of a wider debate over the treatment of renewable fuels in European transport policy. Toyota argues that vehicles using renewable fuels can have a different emissions profile from those running on fossil petrol. The road test is intended to demonstrate practical compatibility; it is neither EU regulatory approval nor a change to vehicle-emissions law, and it does not establish combustion vehicles using renewable petrol as “zero-emission.”
Spain continues to expand support for electric mobility, including incentives for electric-car purchases and investment in charging infrastructure. The trial’s eventual technical and environmental findings, alongside its economic results, may inform discussions about how renewable fuels could fit alongside electrification in Europe’s decarbonization strategy.
When the six-month trial concludes, its results are expected to be shared with EU policymakers and automotive industry organizations to inform assessments of renewable petrol’s commercial and policy potential. The project’s immediate test is whether the fuel can be used in existing cars and through current refueling infrastructure; broader conclusions will depend on the findings and the prospects for producing and distributing the fuel at scale.
