Stellantis launches HVO Aurora to cut CO₂ emissions in light commercial vehicle fleets

Stellantis has just announced the launch of HVO Aurora, a project designed to bring greener fuels into its light commercial vehicle (LCV) fleets.

Unveiled today, HVO Aurora is presented as an innovative initiative aimed at helping businesses drive down CO₂ emissions. Rather than focusing on electric powertrains this time, Stellantis is highlighting the potential of lower-carbon fuels for companies running fleets of LCVs.

What if you drove… on used cooking oil?

HVO Aurora centres on monitoring, verifying and documenting real-world HVO usage. HVO is a hydrotreated vegetable oil produced from waste streams such as used cooking oils or animal fats. As a renewable fuel, it is intended to deliver cleaner driving by significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.

HVO Aurora: real-world tracking with SP3H across Europe

To support the project, Stellantis kicked off a month-long tour of Europe in partnership with SP3H, a French company specialising in the design of smart sensors for low-carbon fuels. In practical terms, two Stellantis vans-a Citroën Berlingo and a Fiat Professional Ducato-were fitted with SP3H’s connected FluidBox Micro sensor and sent on a Europe-wide run to gather usage data in real operating conditions.

“HVO Aurora demonstrates that it is possible, right now, to reduce well-to-wheel emissions thanks to solutions that are compatible with the vehicles our customers already use”, explains Luca Marengo, who is responsible for product and innovation at Stellantis.

For Stellantis, the aim is to show that renewable, traceable fuels can already be used without changing existing fleets or refuelling infrastructure-offering a practical, complementary route to cutting well-to-wheel CO2 emissions.

Stellantis diesel compatibility with HVO (EN15940)

Stellantis also states that every Stellantis passenger car and light commercial vehicle currently on sale is already fully compatible with HVO diesel fuel (fuel standard EN15940). Many Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles currently on the road can use it as well, with no modifications required.

A few days ago, Stellantis was also in the headlines for a darker story… involving alleged trafficking. Two employees at the Vesoul plant are suspected of having stolen automotive parts since 2023, with the intention of reselling them on Leboncoin.