Tests by automaker Stellantis present that 24 varieties of inside combustion engines in European automobiles produced by the group since 2014 can use superior e-fuels with out modification, it stated on Tuesday.
The group fashioned by way of the 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA, stated in April that it was testing 28 engine sorts on artificial e-fuels made with renewable power as a part of efforts to decarbonise its European fleet.
That was solely weeks after the European Union opened a authorized exemption for automobiles operating on e-fuels to stay on sale past the 2035 deadline for the phasing out of carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles.
A Stellantis spokesperson stated that 4 of the 28 engine sorts examined are nonetheless awaiting validation.
Stellantis, proprietor of manufacturers together with Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Opel, Jeep and Maserati, on Tuesday stated that the 24 engine sorts it recognized as suitable with e-fuels symbolize about 28 million automobiles on the roads in Europe.
The checks had been performed utilizing surrogate e-fuels supplied by Saudi oil large Aramco.
Advanced e-fuels can have a “massive and almost immediate impact on reducing the CO2 emissions” of the present Stellantis car fleet, stated the corporate’s engineering and expertise chief, Ned Curic.
The world’s third-largest carmaker by gross sales stated it estimated that the usage of low-carbon e-fuels in as many as 28 million automobiles may scale back Europe’s CO2 emissions by as much as 400 million metric tons between 2025 and 2050.
Low-carbon e-fuel has the potential to cut back CO2 emissions from present inside combustion automobiles by at the very least 70% on a life cycle foundation in contrast with standard fuels, Stellantis stated.
The situations offered, nevertheless, are theoretical on condition that they depend on automotive homeowners opting to make use of e-fuels reasonably than standard fuels.
The group has targets to halve its carbon footprint from 2021 ranges by 2030 and develop into carbon internet zero by 2038.
(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by David Goodman)
