AUTONEWS

Stellantis returns to charge with e-fuels

Twenty-eight million vehicles bearing the emblem of one of the 14 brands in the Stellantis group are prepared to switch from conventional fuels to synthetic fuels, without the need for any mechanical changes. These are models in circulation on the Old Continent, equipped with Euro 6 engines, which the French-Italian-American group has been producing since 2014 and which, if they actually started to be filled with e-fuels, could reduce carbon dioxide emissions. (CO2) in Europe by up to 400 million tons, over a period of 25 years, estimates the group led by Portuguese Carlos Tavares.

Still according to Stellantis, no less than 24 families of engines from this group are capable of consuming low-carbon e-fuels, and this was the conclusion reached after months of testing in several technical centers in Europe, using e-fuels supplied by energy and chemicals company Aramco. The tests covered analyzes of a series of elements, from emissions in the exhaust pipe to starting capacity, engine power, oil dilution, tank, channels and fuel filters, without forgetting the fuel's performance in extreme temperatures.

“The results reinforce our view that synthetic fuel can be an immediate solution in existing vehicles and that, when produced through a low-carbon route, it can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector and in supporting an orderly energy transition”, highlighted Amer Amer, transport chief technologist at Aramco.

This company currently has two factories in operation that aim to explore the production of e-fuels, one in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Neom Energy and Water Company, and another next door, in Spain. In Bilbao, Aramco has joined forces with Repsol to produce synthetic diesel and aviation fuel, while synthetic gasoline for passenger cars comes from Saudi.

For Stellantis, tests with e-fuels do not represent an alternative to electrification. “Our priority is to provide emission-free mobility for everyone, with a focus on electrification”, highlights Stellantis chief engineering & technology officer Ned Curic. The strategy of the group that brings together the former PSA and FCA has not deviated one millimeter from this, but Stellantis welcomes all solutions with the potential to reduce CO2 emissions. This is the case of e-fuel which, based on the life cycle of internal combustion models, could result in a reduction of at least 70% in CO2 emissions compared to the burning of fossil fuels.

“Replacing conventional fuels with e-fuels can have a huge and almost immediate impact on reducing CO2 emissions from the fleet of vehicles in circulation, offering our customers an easy and economically efficient option to reduce their carbon footprint, in a option as simple as choosing a different pump at a gas station”, highlights Ned Curic.

Without oil, but with characteristics very similar to conventional diesel and gasoline, e-fuels result from a chemical process that combines hydrogen (H2) and CO2, with H2 being the main difficulty in making this type of fuel a viable and competitive solution. , because for the environmental impact of synthetic fuels to be relevant, it is essential that all the elements that compose them originate from renewable energy. And this process represents, until now, a very high bill for the consumer to pay.

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