Mobility Summit: The End of the Legend of E-Fuels for All

In the aftermath of the so-called Mobility Summit at the Chancellery, more and more details from the discussions are becoming known. Spiegel Online reports that the meeting also likely clarified the question of how and where so-called e-fuels should best be used. FDP leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner is said to have asked Porsche and VW Group CEO Oliver Blume how he assesses e-fuels for the new car market. Blume is reported to have outlined the potential for the existing fleet of vehicles and attributed a more supplementary role to the "miracle fuel." For new cars, Blume, which has also been Porsche's position until now, sees e-fuels as more suitable for small or racing series and clearly relies on battery-electric technology. The group's e-offensive was reflected in recent sales reports, which, while still seeing a low, but rapidly increasing, share of purely electric vehicles across all brands.

The air is out of the e-fuel debate

With that, the "air is out" of the debate, according to one participant's assessment. The EU had conceded an examination mandate regarding e-fuels in its EU decision, under heavy pressure from the FDP, which likely indirectly shelved the topic. It also very contradictorily only concerned "new vehicles outside the scope of fleet standards," meaning it couldn't possibly refer to the majority of passenger cars and transporters. The coalition agreement vaguely talks about "vehicles provably fueled only with e-fuels," which could be newly registered after 2035. This would essentially require the creation of a new class of "e-fuel vehicles," similar to CNG propulsion. This means that e-fuels would not be mixed with regular gasoline and diesel, further limiting their potential. Anyway, many details regarding e-fuels remain unresolved, and Porsche's pilot project in Chile also makes it clear that it is unlikely to be used on a mass scale. Der Spiegel reported that the operator and partner recently withdrew the application for an associated 325-megawatt wind farm, citing state regulations that also exist in Chile. Whether the targeted millions of tons of e-fuel can be produced this way is highly questionable. Especially since the energy and transport effort for the e-fuel is enormous.

At most, the blending could become relevant

VDA President Hildegard Müller continues to rely on the blending option for the existing fleet, otherwise the climate targets would not be achievable with a forecast stock of 35 million combustion vehicles by 2030. According to the media report, she urged not to engage in another fundamental debate about propulsion technologies, but to take action. The goal of 15 million e-cars is very ambitious but achievable if consistent action is taken and counterproductive measures are avoided, with Müller referring to the e-car bonus cut also pushed by Lindner. No concrete decisions were expected, but it was good to talk to each other. For real progress, she urged a different format, all the more so for a basic concept for new mobility.