In order to be fit for a low-CO2 future, the new VW boss, Blume, is relying on synthetic fuels: These could be a useful addition to electromobility. Predecessor Diess had a different opinion on this – because e-fuels have their flaws.
The future CEO of the Volkswagen Group, Oliver Blume, has once again spoken out in favor of so-called e-fuels. The goals of the Paris climate agreement cannot be achieved with electromobility alone, he told the “Automobilwoche”. E-fuels are synthetic fuels for petrol or diesel engines that produce less environmentally harmful emissions than conventional fuel.
E-fuels are a sensible addition to electromobility, said Blume, who is also the head of Porsche. Even decades from now, there will still be vehicles with internal combustion engines. With synthetic fuels, these cars could make a contribution to rapid CO2 reduction.
Blume’s predecessor at Volkswagen, Herbert Diess, had rejected e-fuels because of their poor efficiency and criticized the high power consumption during production. Critics argue against synthetic fuels that their production requires a great deal of energy and is therefore very expensive and inefficient. In addition, unlike electric vehicles, cars emit climate-damaging CO2 when burning e-fuels.
A few weeks ago there were allegations that Blume, as Porsche boss, is said to have influenced Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the FDP and the coalition agreement of the traffic light coalition. In addition to the plan to only allow CO2-neutral vehicles in Europe from 2035, the contract also includes a commitment to e-fuels. The FDP and Porsche had rejected the allegations.
For months, the VW brands Porsche and Audi have also been associated with entry into Formula 1. From 2026, the racing cars will also be running on synthetic fuels there.
