Germany and the European Comission are finalizing an agreement to exclude vehicles capable of running on synthetic fuels from the ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines in the European Union from 2035. These negotiations have taken place after the German country threatened to paralyze the approval of the standard if an exemption for e-fuels was not approved.
There are many voices warning that this movement could put European electrification targets at risk at a time when our industry is trying to keep up with China and the United States. Transport & Environment It also warns that synthetic fuels will be too expensive to be a viable solution for the bulk of the population.
According to a report published by the organization, a German driver would pay an average of 210 euros to fill up his tank using synthetic fuel. And it is that the e-fuels could cost up to 2.80 euros/liter; that is, 50% more than conventional gasoline. In addition, promoting the manufacture of thermal cars after 2035 would increase the consumption of oil (and with it the emissions) of the pre-existing fleet, since there would not be enough synthetic fuel for the entire fleet.
If e-fuels are used in new models, vehicles already on the road will burn 135 billion additional liters of fossil fuel. In addition, synthetic fuels continue to emit nitrogen oxides and carcinogenic particles, with the consequent damage to the health of citizens.
E-fuels will be a niche solution
“Chancellor Scholz is threatening to trip up the Green Deal in order to save polluting combustion engines. The higher cost of synthetic fuels will mean that only the wealthy will be able to afford them, while everyone else could be forced to use fossil gasoline instead. Motorists and the weather will be the losers.”it states Alex KeynesTransport & Environment clean vehicle manager.
“Ultimately, synthetic fuels will be nothing more than a niche solution for Porsche drivers. But by undermining the clarity of phasing out the engine in the name of expensive and polluting fuel, Scholz is risking Europe’s ecological transition and the future of its car industry«.
Precisely Porsche has placed itself at the center of the debate due to their investments in this technology. The Stuttgart firm, which has a pilot plant dedicated to the production of e-fuels in Chile, believes that this is a way to accelerate the decarbonization of the sector and reduce emissions from the fleet of vehicles that are already in the road.
Source | Transport & Environment
