Porsche executive told British car magazine Evo that the car on synthetic fuel could be as clean as EVs.
First let’s focus what are synthetic fuels. Synthetic fuel is a liquid or gaseous fuel derived from a source such as coal, shale oil, tar sands, or biomass, used as a substitute for oil or natural gas.
Dr. Frank Walliser, Porsche vice president of GT cars and motorsport, at the launch of the 2022 911 GT3, said that synthetic fuels will deliver an 85% reduction in carbon emission. Walliser also said that the new synthetic fuel should be ready for testing in 2022, and also that this fuel can be used in all of Porshe’s current engines without any modifications.
This new synthetic fuel will come from a pilot plant in Chile named Haru Oni. Wind-generated electricity will be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. To produce methanol, which can be used to create synthetic gasoline, diesel or kerosene aviation fuel, hydrogen will be companied with CO2 from the air.
Porshe said that Haru Oni will produce about 130,000 liters or 34,340 gallons of fuel by 2022, raising up to 55 million liters every year by 2024, and 550 million liters by year 2026. About 40 % of the new fuel produced will be gasoline.
Porshe also adds that the use of synthetic fuels is a way to keep the classic cars on the road. About 70% of all cars that Porshe has made are still on the road.
No company has ever produced synthetic fuel on a commercial scale. Only Audi has made a small about of synthetic diesel. The worst part about this fuel is the price. Right now, the cost of synthetic fuel is 10$ per liter which is equivalent to about 37$ per gallon. Porshes CEO, Oliver Blume said that the researchers are working on reducing the price to 2$ per liter. No matter what it will still make synthetic fuel more expensive then todays gasoline.
Porshe isn’t the only car brand that is looking forward to synthetic fuels. For example, BMW is investing in startup Prometheus Fuels, and in 2022 McLaren will also be testing synthetic fuels.
What do you think about synthetic fuels and car brands heading towards them? Let me know in the comments.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/synthetic-fuel