Dhahran, September 05, 2023, Following months of testing at its technical centers throughout Europe, Stellantis has determined that 24 engine families in European vehicles sold since 2014—representing 28 million vehicles currently on the road—are prepared to use advanced drop-in eFuel without any powertrain modification. One of the top integrated energy and chemical corporations in the world, Aramco, provided surrogate e-fuels for the experiments. Low-carbon eFuel is a drop-in synthetic fuel created by reacting renewable hydrogen with CO2 that has been directly or indirectly absorbed from the atmosphere or an industrial plant. In comparison to conventional fuels, the use of low-carbon e-fuel has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from current internal combustion cars by at least 70% over their lifetimes. Amer Al-Amer, chief technologist for Aramco Transport, said: "We are excited to collaborate with Stellantis, one of the top automakers in the world, to evaluate the performance of our fuel formulations that are intended to simulate projected eFuel characteristics in its current vehicle engines. The test results corroborate our belief that synthetic fuel can be a drop-in replacement for current vehicles and, when produced through a low-carbon method, can significantly reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector while facilitating a smooth energy transition.
Ned Curic, the chief engineering and technology officer at Stellantis, stated: "Our objective is to provide zero-emission mobility for all, with a focus on electrification, while our partnership with Aramco is an essential and complementary step in this journey for existing fleets on the road. We are looking into every option to support our bold plan to become a carbon-neutral company by 2038. Drop-in eFuels can significantly and almost immediately reduce the CO2 emissions of the current vehicle fleet, giving our customers a quick and cost-effective way to lessen their carbon footprint. All they have to do is select a different fuel pump at the gas station; their cars won't need to be modified in any way.
By measuring 2021 metrics and following its long-term strategic plan, Dare Forward 2030, Stellantis wants to reduce its carbon footprint by half by 2030 and reach carbon net zero by 2038. According to Stellantis, between 2025 and 2050, Europe may save up to 400 million tons of CO2 by using low-carbon e-fuels in up to 28 million of its vehicles. The surrogate eFuels were tested by Stellantis on a variety of factors, including tailpipe emissions, engine performance, reliability endurance, oil dilution, fuel tank, fuel lines, and filters, as well as fuel performance in extremely cold and hot climates.
To investigate the possibility of producing low-carbon synthetic fuels, Aramco is currently developing two demonstration units. Aramco and ENOWA (Neom Energy and Water Company) are collaborating in Saudi Arabia to produce a synthetic gasoline prototype for light-duty passenger cars. Aramco and Repsol are investigating the possibility of producing low-carbon synthetic diesel and jet fuel for cars and airplanes in Bilbao, Spain. In order to further test and show the potential of low-carbon fuel as a drop-in solution to cut carbon emissions from internal combustion engine cars, Aramco is now collaborating with motorsport teams and events.
