Stellantis, the parent company of major automotive brands such as Fiat, Peugeot, Opel, and Jeep, has announced its testing of synthetic e-fuels made with renewable energy on 28 different types of its internal combustion engines. This step is seen as a move towards decarbonising its existing European fleet. Stellantis is currently exploring everything from tailpipe emissions to engine power and oil dilution in Euro 6-standard vehicles made between 2014 and 2029.
The introduction of e-fuels is being considered in the context of a new legal route, recently opened by the European Union, that allows for the sale of models with combustion engines running on e-fuels beyond 2035. This exemption, backed by Germany, has been viewed by some as a necessary measure to preserve technological freedom, but others consider it a dangerous loophole that may ultimately contribute to more pollution from combustion engines. Despite these concerns, Stellantis has expressed confidence that the solutions being tested could apply to up to 28 million of its vehicles, potentially leading to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 400 million tons in Europe between 2025 and 2050.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to having all new car sales in Europe being battery-electric by 2030, emphasizing that the company’s exploration of e-fuels does not change its electrification strategy. Instead, Tavares suggests that the use of e-fuels may offer an affordable and easy option for customers with existing internal combustion engine vehicles to decarbonize their cars. However, he also stresses the importance of the industry demonstrating the carbon-neutrality of e-fuels.
Meanwhile, Chevron and Exxon Mobil are also exploring renewable gasoline blends, though they claim that making these fuels affordable would require government support. As the automotive industry continues to shift towards more sustainable forms of transportation, the exploration of new decarbonization solutions such as e-fuels will likely become more common.
