As the UK government’s ban on new pure-combustion cars approaches, questions are being raised about whether alternative fuel solutions also have a role to play in reducing transport emissions alongside electrification.
Some car manufacturers and governments are working to produce alternative means of fueling a car, such as hydrogen, but others are pushing two main forms of fuel: e-fuels and biofuels, which are both types of synthetic fuel.
Synthetic fuels are produced artificially but can be used similarly to fossil fuels. While traditional fossil fuels are formed naturally over millions of years from coal, oil or gas, synthetic fuels are made using renewables.
But what types of synthetic fuel are there, and how can they be used in cars? We’ve got all the information you need to know right here.
What are e-fuels and how are they made?
E-fuels are a type of synthetic fuel produced using ‘green’ hydrogen and carbon, often sourced from waste biomass or CO2 captured from the atmosphere.
The name ‘e-fuel’ is short for ‘electrofuel’. It's often a suitable alternative to petrol for use in a car with an internal combustion engine.
But how are they made? In short, e-fuels are made by separating hydrogen and oxygen from water using electricity. The next step is to capture CO2 from the air and then combine the hydrogen and CO2 using chemical synthesis.
E-fuels are carbon neutral, meaning they use the same amount of CO2 emissions as they emit. For this reason, they’re considered by some car brands, such as Porsche, as a potential alternative to all-electric power.
An e-fuel’s removal of atmospheric carbon – either through photosynthesis when growing the biomass or by capture – is argued to offset the emissions produced when the fuel is burnt in an engine.
Pros of e-fuels
E-fuels are capable of powering modern, existing cars without the need for modifications. They can also be used in heavy goods vehicles and vans.
While other fuels like hydrogen and electricity require new infrastructure, e-fuels can be used with existing fuel lorries, refineries and pipelines, and filling stations can also remain the same.
Need to fill up a car using e-fuels? You’re in luck - it takes just a few minutes, like filling up with petrol or diesel.
Cons of e-fuels
The key problem with e-fuels is that they’re costly to produce and that they can’t yet be produced in large quantities.
Despite being cleaner to produce, e-fuels still emit gases that are harmful to the environment, similar to petrol and diesel.
Join the debate
Add your comment
This article is again pie in the sky from Autocar. The 8th paragraph effectively says use the electricity needed to produce e-fuel to power the cars.
"According to a 2019 report by the International Energy Agency, producing all of today’s industrial hydrogen output from electricity would create an electricity demand of 3600TWh. This is almost 1000TWh more than the EU’s entire energy production last year, of which just 39.4% came from renewables. And that just to match today’s hydrogen output, not the surplus needed for the mass industrialisation of e-fuels; using electricity that could less wastefully power battery-electric cars."
This article doesn't give you or I any idea what it'll cost to run a car, VanTruck etc, nor does it say how it affects the engines Old or new wear wise.