McLaren is advancing plans to create a development car that runs on synthetic fuel to prove the technology’s validity as an alternative to battery-electric vehicles for lowering the ecological impact of motoring, COO Jens Ludmann has revealed.
While the project is still in the planning stage, Ludmann revealed that the company believes synthetic fuels can be a viable alternative to electric power if the production of batteries is included as part of an EV’s total CO2 impact.
Ludmann said: “The technology around synthetic fuels is still being developed, but if you consider that it can be produced using solar energy, easily transported and then pumped [into cars] as we know today, there are potential benefits in terms of emissions and practicality that I’m keen to explore.
“Today’s engines would need only small modifications, and I would like to see this technology get some more airtime.”
However, Ludmann stressed that he doesn’t envisage synthetic fuel engines replacing battery-electric vehicles.
“It’s too hard to say with certainty how far off synthetic fuel is from reaching production reality,” he said, “whereas battery technology is here. Then you also have the potential to combine synthetic fuel with a hybrid system, which would make it cleaner still.
“I’m not saying this to hold back battery technology but rather to highlight that there could be valid alternatives that we should consider.”
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exempt co2 neutral efuel & other cleaner fuel cars from 2030 petrol and diesel ban
Batteryries a good solution - Synthetic Carbon fuels are better
The first eletric vehicel predates the car by at least 50 yesrs having been invented in 1928.
The eltric "car golden age was short lived lasting from 1890 to ciraca 1910 when eltric vehilces out petrol cars in city and taxi uage.
The modern took from 1910 due it having more range better speed and utimately being cheaper.
Despite neraly centuites of devlopment the same issues the killed electric vehicles in 1910 still exist. Linited range difficuty charging on demand whne you need and finally simply not letric genration capacity. If every current was repalced with an electric one there isn't power to charge them all. especially since this most likely be overnight. No sunlight or other renewable source.
Repalting Petrol/deisel with Carbon neutral synthetic needs nothing extra to disribute only investiment in the production techonology. Everytthing else is available range, ease of use, convenience, we take this for granted when we use our cars. Most people I know who have eltric's also have a petrol and use it when the electric can't do the journey or is recharging over the weekend to fill it up the weekly commute to work.
Thing is synthetic fuels (and
Thing is synthetic fuels (and bio fuels) have been around for years, why havent they been developed further already ? Why arent they used more ? Sure you get a few idiots moaning about them, but those tw*ts shold have been ignored.