According to the EU’s previous resolution, the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles will be banned in the EU after 2035, in line with the EU’s carbon emissions targets. However, after the EU countries and the European Parliament passed the law last year, the German Ministry of Transport opposed the ban at the last minute this month.
According to Reuters, Germany and the European Union have reached a compromise on a proposed ban on internal combustion engine powered cars starting in 2035. Carmakers could continue to sell products with internal combustion engines, but they would have to use synthetic fuels.
Germany and Italy, which both have large auto industries, opposed the EU’s initial proposal, which would have phased out internal combustion engine cars starting in 2035. As part of the compromise, the European Commission agreed to create a new category of cars specifically for models that can only run on synthetic fuels. The next step will be voted on March 28 in Brussels, Belgium, local time.
In Europe, cars that run on synthetic fuels need to have technology that prevents the use of gasoline or diesel, with technology built into the vehicle that would prevent a particular vehicle from running once it is running on another fuel. But there are no details yet on how automakers will implement these systems.
Synthetic fuel (e-fuel) is an alternative fuel that is manufactured using captured carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, as well as hydrogen from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and nuclear. This process uses carbon dioxide in combustion and releases approximately the same amount of carbon dioxide into the air, resulting in a lower overall carbon footprint. Synthetic fuels are an option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation, especially for long-haul freight, marine and air transportation.
However, synthetic fuels are not currently produced in large quantities. Porsche is investing in improving this technology. In a pilot phase in Chile, Porsche’s production site plans to produce 34,342 gallons of synthetic fuel per year. The company expects to be able to increase this to 145 million gallons per year, but this is still only a fraction of the 134.83 billion gallons of fuel used in the United States in 2021.
