Rumor: Shell to develop Sustainable fuel to keep IndyCar Internal Combustion engines alive

This rumor is upgraded to ‘fact’ today.

Shell and INDYCAR are continuing their sustainability journey together by announcing a lineup of additional energy solutions for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) ahead of the prestigious Indianapolis 500. Together and separately, the organizations have designed a variety of sustainability initiatives that will help to reduce the carbon footprint within INDYCAR and power progress toward more sustainable motorsports in North America.

“The fuel and lubricant, and energy solutions developed through our strategic relationship with INDYCAR and Penske Corporation can ultimately help accelerate reduced carbon emissions from transport in many sectors of the economy,” said Carlos Maurer, executive vice president of Sectors and Decarbonization at Shell. “Shell’s motorsports technical alliances around the world provide a testing ground for fuel and lubricant technologies and products in demanding road conditions.”

Sustainable Motorsports

Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel ²

Building on the sponsorship contract renewal and extension announced on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Shell will be the official fuel, motor oil and lubricant sponsor of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Beginning in 2023, Shell will produce a new race fuel for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. This new product consists of a blend of second-generation ethanol derived from sugarcane waste and other biofuels to create a fuel that is 100% comprised of feedstocks categorized as “renewable” under the applicable regulatory frameworks.

The fuel developed by Shell is set to make the NTT INDYCAR SERIES the first United States-based motorsports series to power racing with 100% renewable race fuel ³ and enables at least 60% greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to fossil-based gasoline ⁴.

“This race fuel development for INDYCAR is a great example of how fuels technology is pivotal in helping decarbonize the sport,” said Dr. Selda Gunsel, president of Shell Global Solutions. “Today’s development takes us one step closer to that goal.”

The second-generation ethanol will be sourced from Raízen, a Brazilian Joint-Venture created in 2011 by Shell and Cosan. Raízen is one of the largest sugarcane ethanol producers in the world and owner of the first commercial second-generation ethanol plant.

“It is an honor for Raízen to contribute advanced ethanol to this renewable race fuel, and it’s an exciting introduction to one of the most iconic motorsport categories,” said Ricardo Mussa, Raízen CEO.

“Motorsports has always been at the forefront of innovation and technology, and today INDYCAR is furthering this tradition in a very important and transformational way,” said Mark Miles, president & CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp. “We are proud to become a leader in sustainability and decarbonization as we work towards becoming the first U.S. motorsport series to run on renewable fuel. With industry-leading organizations like Shell and Penske sharing the same ambition for a cleaner energy future, remarkable progress can be made.”

Note to editors:

Carbon Neutral Motor Oil

Pennzoil Synthetics 0W oils are trusted to power all engines running in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and are now Carbon Neutral [5]. As the Official Motor Oil and Lubricant Sponsor of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Pennzoil works hand-in-hand with the engine manufacturers to develop and test premium motor oil formulations. Pennzoil takes pride in the performance of the first synthetic motor oil made from natural gas helping to power and protect Chevrolet and Honda INDYCAR engines through demanding race conditions. Pennzoil high-quality motor oil provides complete engine protection to deliver a top level of performance trusted by major car manufacturers, racing teams and car enthusiasts.

EV Charging at IMS

A 150kW, high-power electric charger has been installed on the IMS grounds, in coordination with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Shell Recharge Solutions. All race tires being supplied for Indianapolis 500 practice, qualifications and Race Day will be delivered to the “Racing Capital of the World” from their Central Indiana warehouse using the Freightliner eCascadia from Penske Truck Leasing’s fleet of electric vehicles.

Travel Footprint Offsets

Through Shell’s Environmental Products Trading business, IMS will offset its entire operational carbon footprint during the Month of May through its contributions to GreenTrees, a vital effort that restores natural habitats in more than 1 million acres across seven states in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and part of Shell’s portfolio of Nature Based Solutions projects. IMS has also teamed up with the climate technology company CHOOSE on the implementation of a new customer program that allows fans to offset their travel footprint through a nominal contribution.

Shell Eco-Marathon Americas

In early April, the annual Shell Eco-Marathon Americas was hosted at IMS for the first time. The event had 50 teams competing in two classes to create some of the world’s most fuel-efficient vehicles. The event annually inspires future inventors in both the high school and collegiate levels to build and design vehicles that will expedite the energy transition and decarbonization efforts, a shared ambition of Shell and Penske.

Silver Certification by Council for Responsible Sport

Earlier in 2022, it was announced that the 2021 Indy 500 was certified at the Silver level by the Council for Responsible Sport after achieving 37 social and environmental standards of good practice. The venue implemented facility upgrades to increase both energy and water-use efficiency, calculated a robust greenhouse gas emissions inventory and enhanced its “Bike to the 500” program. IMS is working toward becoming the first sports facility in the world to become a Certified Responsible Sport venue.

Penske Truck Leasing and Shell Recharge Solutions North America

Away from the track, Penske Truck Leasing, and Shell Recharge Solutions North America recently announced a new joint initiative to support light-duty electric vehicle (EV) charging at Penske locations. The project will initially deploy Level 2 (L2) electric truck charging stations with plug-and-charge capabilities to support Penske’s growing battery-electric truck fleet in California. Additional sites will be rolled out to four U.S. states in 2022, with more locations expected to be added in 2023 and beyond.

To support Penske, Shell Recharge Solutions will deliver design, installation and charging network management support enabled through its SKY software platform. Shell Recharge Solutions will also provide maintenance support across Penske’s network of L2 electric truck charging stations.

[1]Reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions relative to 2005 baseline average gasoline as defined in the RFS. Estimations for Shell Fuel based on CA-GREET model values provided by supplier and published fuel pathways in the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

[2]Reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions relative to 2005 baseline average gasoline as defined in the RFS. Estimations for Shell Fuel based on CA-GREET model values provided by supplier and published fuel pathways in the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

[3]Reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions relative to 2005 baseline average gasoline as defined in the RFS. Estimations for Shell Fuel based on CA-GREET model values provided by supplier and published fuel pathways in the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

[4]Renewable Fuel Standard, Energy Policy Act, Overview for Renewable Fuel Standard | US EPA

[5]CO2 compensation is not a substitute for switching to lower emissions energy solutions or reducing the use of fossil fuels. Carbon credits are purchased and retired to compensate the calculated lifecycle CO2e emissions of the product. Although these carbon credits have been generated in accordance with international carbon standards, the compensation may not be exact.

May 26, 2022

Rumor has it that Shell, IndyCar’s new fuel supplier, will develop a new fuel for its next-generation engines intended to produce the same mind-bending performance while emitting net zero carbon dioxide.

Rumor has it that IndyCar’s new hybrid engines arriving in 2024 will be powered by a 100 percent sustainable fuel, meaning it will have zero net carbon dioxide emissions.

The idea is rather than eventually switch to electric motors that take away the sound and hence the excitement, sustainable fuel will allow IndyCar to continue to use internal combustion engines for a very long time and still be ‘green.’

Shell is working on a similar fuel for Ferrari in F1 – it will be laboratory created using elements from a variety of potential sources. One option is carbon capture, which catches carbon dioxide at its emission source for storage or reuse. F1 says the fuel could also come from municipal waste or non-food biomass such as algae or agricultural waste.

Rumor has it the aim is for the new fuel to be able to match the energy density of the ethanol currently used in IndyCar, meaning the cars’ performance should be unaffected.

F1 expects the new fuel to achieve greenhouse-gas-emissions savings of at least 65 percent, compared to traditional gasoline, and we suspect that will be a similar goal for IndyCar.

Stay tuned and let’s see if this rumor has any legs. Mark C. reporting for AutoRacing1.com