Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki and Daihatsu don't just believe in electric cars. They are developing synthetic gasoline (eFuel) to make the cars that already exist CO2-neutral.
Five Japanese car brands want to save your petrol car. Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki and Daihatsu are developing synthetic petrol, also known as e-Fuel. The aim is to make existing cars CO2-neutral.
Not all car manufacturers are focusing solely on electric cars. The Japanese brands see other possibilities. They want to improve the technology that is already available in the vast majority of cars.
It's all about further development. Why throw away functioning cars if they can be made more sustainable? That's the idea behind the focus on eFuel.
This is what Top Gear writes.
What exactly is eFuel? It's synthetic gasoline. The fuel is made using hydrogen and CO2.
CO2 that the Japanese extract directly from the air. The hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources.
Cars running on eFuel still emit CO2. But it is only the CO2 that the fuel is already produced from. That is why the fuel is called CO2-neutral.
e-Fuel: Synthetic gasoline and production
Toyota has long believed that an electric car is not the way forward for the automotive industry. And the Japanese are sticking to that view of tomorrow's transportation needs.
The car you already own could potentially be part of the solution. By driving on synthetic gasoline, you can consider yourself CO2 neutral. At least on the roads.
However, the production of e-fuel is still so small that it is far from covering any real demand. The company Eneos currently produces about one ton per day.
Right now it's just a pilot project, but the ambition is full-scale production.
Porsche has also been researching and developing eFuel for some time. The German sports car brand sees it as an opportunity. Especially to keep classic cars running in the future. Just like you run the Porsche Supercup with the same gasoline.
In principle, any gasoline car can run on the synthetic fuel. It does not require any changes to the car itself. This is one of the advantages of the technology.
However, the price per liter remains a challenge. Right now, eFuels are more expensive than regular gasoline from the gas station. This may affect uptake in the short term.
Toyota's strategy: More paths to green driving
With eFuel, you can potentially avoid worries about range and charging. You avoid possible queues at charging stations. You also don't need to invest in a new electric car, which can easily cost half a million kroner.
The production of new cars is also associated with the emission of CO2, regardless of the fuel the cars run on.
Extending the lifespan of existing cars could be an alternative, especially in countries where the rollout of the infrastructure on which electric cars depend is slow.
Toyota has long signaled that they will not focus exclusively on electric cars. The Japanese see electric cars as one part of a larger solution. Not as the answer that fits all drivers and driving needs.
According to Toyota, eFuel, hydrogen and hybrids should be able to exist side by side. They believe in a diversity of technologies. This gives consumers more real choices.
You may have different opinions about this strategy, but it differs from a one-sided focus on one technology.
At the same time, however, the Japanese recognize that the hydrogen car in particular has not gained the popularity and development that had been anticipated.
It doesn't get any easier because hydrogen plants and stations are closed in several European countries. Including in Denmark. Read more about it here .
In addition to more testing and development work, the five Japanese car brands plan to demonstrate efuel to the public.
This will first happen at Expo 2025, which will take place in Osaka, Japan. Here, a fleet of different cars will drive guests around.
All the cars will run on CO₂-neutral e-fuel supplied by Eneos. The expectation is that the cars will drive exactly like regular petrol cars.
