In a recent interview with Automotive News Europe, VW brand chief Thomas Schäfer said that he is not concerned with the recent discussion over an e-fuel exception to the EU’s 2035 fossil fuel car ban. Schäfer said that “by 2035, combustion engines are over anyway.”
Schäfer’s comments come as the EU is currently in the process of finalising its 2035 emissions regulations. The current proposal would ban the sale of new combustion engine cars in the EU by 2035. However, some countries, including Germany, have been lobbying for an exemption for cars powered by e-fuels.
E-fuels are made from renewable energy and are carbon neutral. They can be used in existing combustion engine cars without any modifications. However, e-fuels are currently very expensive to produce.
Schäfer said that he does not believe that e-fuels will be able to compete with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the long term. He said that BEVs are becoming more affordable, and that their range is increasing. Schäfer also said that BEVs are becoming more popular with consumers.
No Combustion Engines?
“We said by 2033 we’re done [with combustion engines],” Schäfer said. “By 2030 we plan that 80 percent of our vehicles sold in Europe are battery electric, so why spend a fortune on old technology that doesn’t really give you any benefit?”
Schäfer’s comments are a sign of the growing momentum behind the electrification of the automotive industry. More and more automakers are announcing plans to phase out combustion engine cars in the coming years. The EU’s 2035 emissions regulations are likely to accelerate this trend.
The debate over e-fuels is a complex one. On the one hand, e-fuels are made from renewable energy and are carbon neutral. This means that they could help to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. On the other hand, e-fuels are currently hellishly expensive to produce. It is not clear if they will be able to compete with BEVs in the long term.
There are a number of factors that could affect the future of e-fuels. One factor is the cost of production. If the cost of producing e-fuels can be reduced, they may become more competitive with BEVs. Another factor is the availability of renewable energy. E-fuels need to be made from renewable energy to be viable, so the availability of renewable energy will be a key factor in their success.
The future of e-fuels is certainly uncertain. However, the EU’s 2035 emissions regulations are a clear sign that the bloc is committed to a transition to zero-emission vehicles. If the EU is successful in this transition, it is possible that e-fuels will play a role in the future of transportation. However, it is also possible that e-fuels will be replaced by other technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells. Only time will tell what the future holds for e-fuels.
What is most surprising about this news is that one of the driving forces behind E-Fuel is VW’s own brand, Porsche.