Although the German luxury carmaker is making huge investments in electromobility, Porsche says its cleaner synthetic fuel will allow older models of its performance car range to stay on the road for longer.
The transition to electric vehicles may be the auto industry's main priority, but Porsche sees things a little differently despite investing billions of euros in electromobility.
With the German automaker's existing range of luxury, high-performance models built to last, the firm is searching for greener ways to ensure they can stay on the roads amid pressure to reduce pollution from fossil fuels.
Enter electrofuels or eFuels as Porsche calls it - synthetic methanol gasoline that will be produced using green hydrogen, made with renewable energy. The fuel will burn the same as gasoline made from crude oil but without the huge greenhouse gas emissions. It can be sold at the existing network of filling stations globally and Porsche owners won't need to get their engines modified.
Porsche spokesman Peter Gräve says its eFuels will "permit the almost climate-neutral operation of combustion-engine vehicles." The carmaker recently said its electrofuels could cut CO2 emissions by more than 85% and is cleaner than an electric vehicle when factoring in the environmental impact ofbattery production.
In December, Porsche confirmed it would be the primary customer for the eFuels project and said it would invest €24 million ($28.6 million), along with a further €9 million from the German government. Last month, Porsche said the first fuel would be ready in 2022.
If fully rolled out, synthetic gasoline could help Porsche save millions of euros in European Union fines related to climate change goals.
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