• Durability tests such as the 24h Nürburgring demonstrate the practicality of new technologies
• Alternative fuels have long been the norm on the Nordschleife
• Eleven vehicles are running on the new fuels at this year's 24h
The future continues to arrive at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. More and more teams that are working with alternative drive systems and fuels want to compete with the other participants on the Nordschleife. Eleven vehicles are registered in the AT classes for the 53th edition oft he 24h from 19 to 22 June 2025 - a boom in participants that shows that the important topic of the future has also arrived at the endurance classic.
Three performance-orientated classes for the ‘alternatives’
The AT class brings the traditional technological openness of the 24h regulations into the present day, which already applied to the Nürburgring 24h in the 1970s. As early as 1978, a diesel vehicle competed in the race for the first time, and in 1998, the BMW 320d won the first overall diesel victory in a 24-hour race worldwide - a sensation at the time, demonstrating what is technically possible with diesel engines. In the early 2000s, it was the natural gas-powered racing cars that continued this tradition and their successors today rely on high-tech fuels and components.
“We see these AT projects as fundamentally very positive because they represent a step in the right direction,“ says 24h Race Director Walter Hornung. “Among other things
E-fuels are trend-setting and technologically a good way to further reduce the CO2 footprint in motorsport.“ In order to give them all a chance to start, the vehicles are categorised individually. Hornung: “We have now announced three AT classes in which the categorisation is based on the performance of the vehicle.”
Walter Hornung is very optimistic for the 24h 2025: “The AT refuelling will take place at a petrol station at the beginning of the pit lane, which will limit the maximum number of participants in this category, however.“ The vehicles starting this year therefore mark a capacity limit. At least for the time being. Because the widespread use of these fuels “is our medium-term wish,” says the race director. All in all, it is therefore only a matter of time before motorsport in the legendary Green Hell also goes green in terms of fuels.
eFuels or biofuel - that is the question
There are two approaches to fuels: Some teams rely on eFuels others on biofuels. These two variants are produced using different processes. Biofuels are based on biomass (maize, sugar cane, rapeseed). In order to avoid competition with food, they try to use organic ‘waste’. eFuels, on the other hand, are produced chemically from water and CO₂ using electricity (hence the ‘e’).
Motorsport teams can become pioneers for sustainability
Max Kruse Racing will be competing with three vehicles in the AT3 and one car in the AT2. The team, which is backed not only by the professional footballer behind its name, but also by VW brand ambassador and development driver Benny Leuchter, uses ‘E20 Blue Gasoline’ fuel. This consists of 20 per cent bioethanol and an additional 40 per cent renewable components, such as residual and waste materials. This ensures a CO₂ reduction of up to 40 per cent compared to conventional petrol. The fuel was developed at the Shell Technology Centre in Hamburg. The Fancy by Teamwork Motorsport team also relies on an E20 fuel. Fancy is a Chinese customer team of Teamwork Motorsport, a renowned racing team based in Hong Kong that has been active in various touring car series such as the World Touring Car Championship since 1999.
Four Motors takes a similar approach. The team uses alternative E20 fuel from CropEnergies. This is petrol with a 20 percent bioethanol content from sustainable production. The team also endeavours to obtain the oils and lubricants used from sustainable production.
Other teams rely on eFuels: Manthey Racing Team by eFuel Griesemann has been competing with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS M developed by Manthey since this year. Georg Griesemann emphasises: “The data from the last two years speaks for itself: eFuels have no disadvantages. In Manthey, we have found a partner who shares this conviction. Together, we want to show at the 24-hour race that a vehicle powered by climate-friendly fuels is absolutely competitive.” The car will be fuelled with an eFuel from DeCarTrans - a project of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The project aims to further develop a process for the production of synthetic petrol from methanol, which comes from renewable sources.
The fuel used at Hofer racing by Bonk Motorsport also comes from DeCarTrans. The special thing about this fuel is that it can be refuelled without any modifications to the engine or vehicle. WS Racing by Kuepperracing with the BMW M4 GT4 and the ‘Girls Only - Ready to rock the Green Hell’ team also use eFuels. Their partner is Nordoel, which produces a first-generation eFuel based on the methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) principle. Biomethanol serves as a regenerative source.
All in all, a situation that is typical of the 24h Nürburgring: the diversity desired by the regulations is also reflected in the use of more sustainable fuels. Motorsport thus remains what it has always been: a testing ground for trialling new technologies under maximum conditions. Experience to date shows that sustainability is possible in motorsport and that there are already several alternatives to fossil fuels. However, the diversity is also a challenge for the organisers of the 24h Nürburgring - especially in the area of logistics and fuel supply.
There's more to it ...
The teams in the AT classes are not only focussing on fuel, but also increasingly on the use of other sustainable components. Hofer racing by Bonk Motorsport and Four Motors Bioconcept-Car, for example, use biocomposites in the vehicle bodywork. Parts such as doors, rear wings and bonnets are made from natural fibre composites, which are lighter than glass fibres and cheaper than carbon fibres. Hofer racing is also working with Goodyear, which is developing environmentally certified racing tyres that contain a higher proportion of sustainable materials and are more durable.
Manthey Racing Team by eFuel Griesemann has worked with Porsche Motorsport to develop and install prototype parts made from recycled carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). “There has recently been a lot of discussion about carbon fibre, which is very energy-intensive to produce,” says Björn Griesemann. “This material is a step towards a circular economy - an issue that will increasingly occupy us in the coming decades.” Above all, this measure helps to conserve resources.
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