If electric vehicles are the future, what will happen to the millions of vehicles using fossil fuels for their combustion? It's likely that alternative fuels will serve the overwhelming majority of those corporations on the path to a greener future. Hearing this news from our beloved and intelligent Porsche was not much of a SHOCK (get it?)
Porsche's eFuels reduce vehicular greenhouse pollution substantially by utilising renewable sources to produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen fuels. No more liquid dinosaurs exploding under our hoods (or our boot if it's a Porsche).
It’s worth remembering here that Audi and McLaren have been discussing and developing this technology for years. There is already an all-out fight for green mobility, and virtually every automaker is now working to produce EVs.
Most vehicles being marketed today are fueled by gasoline; it doesn't matter whether you opt for an EV or not. Sadly producing an EV still leaves a heavy carbon footprint, but we are enthused to find every manufacturer doing their best and innovating in this way. Porsche claims that their eFuels (we love the name so much) could make an ICE (combustion) as clean as an EV.
Simply put - they are composed of CO2 and hydrogen. Water-splitting is the method - and it can be done by utilising green energy. Water splitting might sound baffling but using electrolysis, you can separate H2O into Hydrogen and Oxygen. We are still looking into where the CO2 comes from in Porsche's equation but we aren't physicists (not yet anyway).
Logically, an e-Fuel has the same potential to be generated in the same industrial way conventional gasoline is made. If we were to switch the energy required for crude oil refining to a sustainable source, but then continued to burn fossil fuels in our cars, we would be operating a very confusing planet. So it seems to be a case of using green energy to split water and burn green fuels as a result. You're welcome, Earth.
Of course, you can also make minor modifications to a combustion engine to run hydrogen fuel - rather than turning the entire thing into a battery (yes we are looking at you Elon!). At the launch of the latest 911 GT3 - Walliser (Vice President Porsche Motorsports) stated that the manufacturer plans to have the first limited run of e-fuels by 2022, saying: "It is much safer and has no by-product - full deployment will reduce [Porsche] CO2 emissions by 85%."
Michael Steiner (Porsche Exec Board) pointed out that this type of technology is especially critical for the automotive industry, because it will remain relevant for several years - as combustion is so ingrained. He added: "If you want to operate the existing fleet in a sustainable manner, eFuels are a fundamental component."
Porsche have been a pillar of the performance industry for many many years - definitely worth experiencing if you have not already. Get behind the wheel with TrackDays from £45 - book straight onto a date or get yourself an open gift voucher valid for ten months.
