Toyota Motor Philippines（TMP）在Toyota Gazoo Racing（TGR）Cup第二个比赛周末的赛事中测试了生物燃料，将该活动定位为菲律宾出行领域替代燃料的试验场。

在Clark International Speedway，观众看到Vios单一车型赛（OMR）的赛车使用E20生物乙醇燃料，而Tamaraw OMR的车辆则使用B5椰子生物柴油混合燃料。TMP称，在该系列赛事中使用生物燃料是菲律宾赛车运动的一项开创性举措，赛事环境为公司提供了一个受控但要求严苛的场景，以观察这些燃料在普通道路使用之外的表现。

TMP总裁Masando Hashimoto表示，这场活动在一定程度上已成为公司的“移动实验室”。“It is allowing us to evaluate the performance, durability, and reliability of biofuels under racing conditions, generating learnings that can contribute to a more sustainable future for mobility,”他在7月9日至11日举行的比赛周末期间，在一场新闻发布会上对媒体成员和内容创作者表示。该比赛周末标志着这一系列赛事在因US-Iran war爆发而取消后重新回归。

“At Toyota, we want to be part of the solution,”Hashimoto先生说。“This is why, over the past weeks, we have been conducting tests of biofuels on the racetrack.”当天早些时候，在活动开幕仪式上，他表示，将生物燃料纳入该系列赛事，旨在展示Toyota对赛车运动和出行领域更可持续未来的承诺。

TMP Corporate Affairs Group第一副总裁Josephine Villanueva表示，这项举措同时面向能源和农业目标。“The main objective is to reduce dependence on imported fuels and carbon emissions,”她说。“More importantly, we want to boost the local agriculture sector by sourcing biofuel products from feedstock grown by local coconut and sugarcane farmers. Biofuel is not new; it has been available since 2006. We are reviving interest in it, and we will continue to collaborate with the government and share our results with them.”

Department of Energy和Department of Agriculture的代表受邀来到赛道，了解Toyota的做法，并观看燃料消耗测试演示。TMP表示，下一步包括收集数据，并与其地区公司和母公司协作核验结果。该公司将性能、效率和可靠性列为关键绩效指标，表明该项目被视为一项数据收集工作，而不是简单的展示性试跑。

在此前Toyota Road Trek 19于Cebu举行期间接受“Velocity”独家采访时，TMP高级副总裁Sherwin Chua Lim表示，决定在TGR Cup中引入生物燃料是该品牌的主动举措。“Although it’s not requested or required from us by the government, we’d like to do our share by testing these fuels,”他说。“(By doing so), maybe we can start preparing ourselves in case there’s a similar spike (in prices due to the Middle East crisis) of traditional fossil fuels in the future.”

Hashimoto先生还提到Toyota在赛道上展示生物燃料的持续努力。Toyota董事长Akio Toyoda参加日本Super Taikyu Series时驾驶一辆使用E20生物燃料的GR86，同时还有一辆搭载液氢驱动内燃机的GR Corolla。“Toyota Gazoo Racing continues to compete at the highest levels of global motorsports,”Hashimoto先生说。“These programs continue to prove that motorsports can accelerate innovation by testing technologies in the toughest conditions. We race to create ever-better cars.”

在回答“Velocity”提问时，Hashimoto先生表示，通过Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup推广的多燃料战略与公司多路径 approach一致，该 approach旨在为实现碳中和而使动力总成技术和能源来源多元化。TMP称，约四分之三的Toyota和Lexus汽油车型已经兼容E20，而目前所有Toyota柴油车型均兼容B5。

“We need to give options to our customers,”Hashimoto先生说。“I hope more people will realize that we have more choices beyond gasoline or diesel. Indonesia has already implemented E40 and is moving toward an even higher blend, E50. This shows that increasing the use of biofuel is possible. For the Philippines, this is an opportunity to become stronger and more self-reliant by reducing petroleum imports.”

Hashimoto先生表示，生物燃料将继续是TGR Philippine Cup的重要组成部分。该系列赛事今年还安排了两个比赛周末：8月13日至15日在Batangas Racing Circuit举行的Race Weekend 3，以及9月10日至12日在Clark International Speedway举行的Race Weekend 4。