The fuel your vehicle uses determines its emissions profile. Sweden has an ambitious climate target — net-zero transport emissions by 2045 — and offers a wide range of alternative fuels to support this.
Petrol and Diesel
Standard petrol (bensin) and diesel produce CO₂, NOx, and particulates. Diesel produces lower CO₂ per km but significantly more NOx and fine particulates — the pollutants most damaging to urban air quality. Sweden blends E5 (5% ethanol) into standard petrol and B7 (7% biodiesel) into diesel as a default.
E85 and Ethanol
E85 is 85% ethanol, primarily from renewable sources (sugarcane, wheat). Flex-fuel vehicles can use E85, which produces significantly lower net CO₂ when sourced from biomass. E85 has lower energy density than petrol — fuel consumption (litres per km) increases.
Biogas and HVO
Biogas (biometan) produces very low net CO₂ and low NOx — it is used in many Swedish buses. HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) is a drop-in diesel replacement made from waste fats and plant oils — it can be used in any diesel engine and reduces CO₂ by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel.
Exam tip: HVO and biogas are considered the most environmentally beneficial liquid/gas fuels available in Sweden today for conventional vehicle types.