Gerrman carmaker Audi has started producing its first quantities of e-benzin, a synthetic fuel that can be used like traditional petrol but without the harmful sulphur or hydrocarbon emissions.

Synthetically produced without any petroleum it is extremely high-grade and therefore suitable for use in serious performance or seriously efficient cars as both use engines that run with a high compression ratio.

NEXT AUDI R8 TO OFFER OPTIONAL LASER LIGHTS

However, it can just as easily be added to a traditional fossil fuel to dilute its negative impact on the environment.

However, unlike its e-diesel, Audi’s e-benzin, which is being developed in partnership with Global Bioenergies, cannot yet be created without the use of biomass — think biofuels created from rapeseed, sunflower oil or corn.

The total elimination of biomass in the production process is the next step, at which point the fuel will be created using water, hydrogen and carbon dioxide and sunlight.

Reiner Mangold, Head of Sustainable Product Development at Audi AG, described the initial achievement, announced on Friday as: “A big step” in the company’s e-fuels strategy. “Global Bioenergies has demonstrated the viability of the Audi ‘e-benzin’ production process,” he said.

Audi is confident that it can achieve its next target of producing a biomass-free version of the fuel before the end of 2016 and will now begin laboratory and engine tests on e-benzin.