This is probably the most exciting thing you’ll read in a while.
“Up until recently, a carbon-neutral combustion engine was the stuff of dreams. Now, it may soon become a reality.” Reading like a clickbait headline, a recent study conducted by German industrial juggernaut Bosch suggests that with the continued research and development into synthetic fuels, the end of the internal-combustion car may come later than we thought.
“Synthetic fuels can make gasoline- and diesel-powered cars carbon-neutral, and thus make a significant contribution to limiting global warming.” — Dr. Volksmar Denner, Chairman, Robert Bosch GmbH
It’s suggested that by 2050, the use of synthetic fuels as a supplement to electric propulsion technology could reduce global carbon emissions by some 2,800,000,000,000kg (or 2.8-gigatons). To put that into perspective, Germany emitted just one-third of that amount in all of 2016.
The fuels themselves (which can take on the form of petrol, diesel, gas, or even kerosene) are made by combining water-sourced hydrogen with carbon collected either from the air or collected as waste from factories, producing the fuel required.
Further, because synthetic fuels will react and combust the same way fossil fuels do, existing ICE cars will not require any modification to run on synthetic fuels. More good news? The fuels themselves can be engineered to produce little to no soot, resulting in a cleaner tailpipe, making exhaust-treatment devices obsolete.
Pilot testing programs are presently underway in Norway and Germany, in an effort to commercialise synthetic fuels. Admittedly, there is still a long way to go before these faux-fuels will become an established standard. Processing and production continues to cost astronomical amounts, though like with all things, prices are expected to sink even lower than conventional fossil fuels once market takeup gains momentum.
The advantages to synthetic fuels are numerous, though the biggest question mark now is whether or not it’ll reach critical mass and become accessible for the common man. We wish the teams working on this all the best with their crusade to keep the internal combustion engine alive.
Stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
