Mazda completes 1,000-mile drive across UK using fossil-free fuels

Mazda has demonstrated the effectiveness of fossil-free sustainable fuels by completing a 1,000-mile road trip across the UK in an MX-5 powered by the fuels, taking in race tracks across all the nations.

While car manufacturers work to introduce new EVs to help reduce their carbon footprint, some firms are working on ways to reduce the impact of petrol and diesel vehicles on the road. One idea is sustainable fuels, which car brands like Porsche and Mazda are investing in, and which are already used in various types of motorsport, with Formula 1 set to use these fossil-free fuels from 2026.

But to showcase their ability in road cars, Mazda has completed a 1,000-mile road trip in an MX-5 sports car, powered by a fossil-free petrol created by sustainable fuel specialists Coryton.

Made from 100 per cent agricultural waste, including straw and waste from crops that couldn’t be used for consumption, the MX-5 drove from Coryton’s HQ in Essex and completed laps at four UK race tracks. These included Anglesey Circuit in Wales, Oulton Park in England, Knockhill in Scotland and Kirkistown in Northern Ireland.

The MX-5 used was completely unmodified, with performance, economy and engine character all said to be ‘unchanged’ when running on the sustainable fuels.

David Richardson, director of Coryton, said: “Drop-in sustainable fuels are ready now for everyday road cars with internal combustion engines. The UK alone currently has 36 million combustion engine cars on the roads that we could be reducing the emissions from right now.

“The product and technology is ready to go – the industry just needs support to help scale up operations, which can be done gradually. But every litre of fossil fuel we replace directly helps us get closer towards our climate targets.

“Working with forward-thinking partners like Mazda, we’ll continue to show just how easy and impactful the integration of sustainable fuel could be whilst operations scale up for other technologies such as electric. There are a number of solutions, which can all work together to help us meet our goals. It doesn’t need to be all or nothing.”