Fuel innovations

V-Power ® diesel

A diesel-powered car winning one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious endurance races sounds an unlikely scenario. But on 18 June 2006 that’s exactly what happened. The race was the Le Mans 24 Hours, the car an Audi R10 TDI and its fuel Shell V-Power diesel, a blend of diesel and GTL Fuel, a product synthesized from natural gas.

The Shell-powered Audi had already made motorsport history by becoming the first diesel car to win a major race against gasoline-fuelled rivals at the Sebring 12-hour in Florida two months earlier. The Le Mans victory confirmed its success, showing that V-Power diesel technology could combine remarkable power with greater fuel efficiency. In both triumphs the Audi needed only half the refuelling stops of its competitors, while producing less carbon dioxide and other emissions than conventional diesel.

GTL Fuel is a clear, virtually sulphur-free liquid hydrocarbon which burns more cleanly and efficiently than diesel fuel. Produced at Shell’s Gas to Liquids plant in Bintulu, Malaysia, GTL can be used alone or, more commonly, as a blend with diesel fuel. Its purity helps to keep fuel injectors cleaner than ordinary diesel.