Photo: Porsche
No, eFuel does not stand for “electric fuel.” It’s a general moniker used to describe a class of carbon-neutral fuels that could be used in the not-so-distant future to successfully replace kerosene, diesel, or gasoline.
Technically a new type climate-neutral technology, eFuels are still a long way from being adopted by the auto industry. There are a number of entities working on developing this type of synthetic fuel, and as of this week Porsche is joining their ranks.
Porsche motivates the decision to invest in the creation of a new type of eFuel by saying that “with electricity alone, you can't move forward fast enough” towards the goal of having a cleaner car fleet. Sure, the German carmaker does plan to have half of its cars on the road by 2025 powered by electricity, but how about the rest?
Since Porsche does not plan to completely take combustion engines out of the equation, eFuels could be the solution.
"We have a team that is looking for suitable partners who want to build pilot plants with us and prove that the entire process chain works and can be industrialised," said in a statement Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board, Research and Development.
“Porsche wants to help shape this chain, but at the same time, doesn't want to define it down to the smallest detail alone.”
The carmaker did not go into specifics as to exactly what type of fuel it is talking about, or what process will it use to obtain it. Also, a timeframe for its creation is unknown, but if and when ready, we’re likely to see it used in motorsports as well, Steiner added.
Theoretically, synthetic fuels are defined as any liquid fuel obtained from coal or natural gas, or biomass feedstocks. They can be obtained through a variety of methods, but the one Porsche is referencing calls for producing hydrogen from water, and adding CO2 to make a liquid fuel. The CO2 used in the process can come from industrial processes or can even be captured from the air.
Porsche motivates the decision to invest in the creation of a new type of eFuel by saying that “with electricity alone, you can't move forward fast enough” towards the goal of having a cleaner car fleet. Sure, the German carmaker does plan to have half of its cars on the road by 2025 powered by electricity, but how about the rest?
Since Porsche does not plan to completely take combustion engines out of the equation, eFuels could be the solution.
"We have a team that is looking for suitable partners who want to build pilot plants with us and prove that the entire process chain works and can be industrialised," said in a statement Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board, Research and Development.
“Porsche wants to help shape this chain, but at the same time, doesn't want to define it down to the smallest detail alone.”
The carmaker did not go into specifics as to exactly what type of fuel it is talking about, or what process will it use to obtain it. Also, a timeframe for its creation is unknown, but if and when ready, we’re likely to see it used in motorsports as well, Steiner added.
Theoretically, synthetic fuels are defined as any liquid fuel obtained from coal or natural gas, or biomass feedstocks. They can be obtained through a variety of methods, but the one Porsche is referencing calls for producing hydrogen from water, and adding CO2 to make a liquid fuel. The CO2 used in the process can come from industrial processes or can even be captured from the air.
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