Porsche Developing "Climate-neutral E-fuels"

[meth.ix]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/02/por...n-in-e-fuels-for-traditional-sports-cars.html
/newsroom.porsche.com/en/2020/company/porsche-siemens-energy-pilot-project-chile-research-development-synthetic-fuels-efuels-23021.html

Porsche is working with international fuel companies and investing millions of dollars to develop hydrogen-based synthetic, renewable fuels to replace gasoline in ICE engines. The reasoning is so they can continue to sell combustion engines along with EV versions of cars like the 911 without worrying about CO2 emissions. Porsche will be initially using the fuel primarily for motorsports, but my hope is that it can one day be mainstream and an affordable alternative to gasoline for everyday consumers (I'm probably being very optimistic).

Personally, I'm all for this. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the gas-powered engine yet. I'm only 18 and I've never even experienced the feeling of being behind the wheel of a V8 yet 😕. The possibility of co-existence between EVs and ICEs was great news to hear.

What do you guys think?

 

[Will1991]

In my opinion turning 911's, Ferrari's, IS F's, M3's (etc) into BEV's isn't the solution because they aren't the problem as they sell in relative low volume and a good part of them don't drive all that much...

To me the solution is to electrify all the others daily drivers… Do we really need all those Corolla’s, Civic’s, 320i’s, UX’s, X5’s (etc) burning fuel to mainly do city driving or battle traffic situation burning fuel standing still? Does it even make sense to burn so much fuel on idling in traffic?

Just look to Nissan, if they sold more Leaf’s instead of crap diesel powered Qashqai’s we would be able to get the future 400Z here in Europe.

People tend to be a bit extreme like it’s all electric or nothing… I personally believe BEV’s are the solution for us to keep proper fuel-powered sports car o the road while improving significantly our environment/air quality/carbon footprint.

 

[Sulu]

Mazda is also working on e-fuel, which is not surprising, given Mazda's preference for internal combustion engines over EVs.

If e-fuels are viable and are carbon-neutral, allowing for the recycling of carbon emissions back into a synthetic fuel, it will give us another option in addition to BEVs and fuel-cell vehicles, should these new technologies not work out as quickly as planned.

More options are always nice to have.

 

[meth.ix]

In my opinion turning 911's, Ferrari's, IS F's, M3's (etc) into BEV's isn't the solution because they aren't the problem as they sell in relative low volume and a good part of them don't drive all that much...

To me the solution is to electrify all the others daily drivers.

This makes sense, I agree. Keep engines in historically enthusiast vehicles but regular commuting and family vehicles could do with a battery in most regions with the infrastructure.

 

[meth.ix]

I wonder what the long-term effects on the auto industry will be if synthetic fuels become mainstream and cheap. Maybe manufacturers won't give priority downsizing engines and go back to bigger displacement engines like in the mid-to-late 1900s when fuel economy wasn't a major concern for the general public (in America at least). Basically the opposite of the effects of what happened when gas prices shot up and climate change began being taken seriously.

 

[Levi]

NA V8 is nice, but once gone alternative, FI V6 is plenty enough, more compact if designed around it, and so would be FI V4.