eFuel is still an option, especially for classic cars
07/23/2022
After an initial "hype" about synthetic fuels or so-called "eFuels", the topic is now being almost hushed up, mainly because the EU does not want to accept these fuels, which can certainly be produced ecologically, as an alternative for battery-electric mobility. After all, the end of the combustion engine in new cars has been heralded for 2035. However, it must be said that even if sales of electric cars multiply and people make the switch early, two thirds of cars will probably still be equipped with four-stroke engines. And this is one of the reasons why large corporations such as Aramco - the most valuable company on earth, ahead of Apple - are continuing to work intensively on synthetic fuels.
At the official opening of the Emil Frey Classics branch at Utoquai 55 in Zurich, Matthias Braun, who supports Aramco among others, provided information on the current status and expressed optimism that eFuel could certainly be an alternative for the future. He quoted a medium-term production price of around 80 eurocents per liter, which could be achieved with large-scale production. He also did not conceal the fact that the overall efficiency of production was not good in purely mathematical terms, but added that production was entirely ecological if powered solely by solar and wind energy. The great advantage of eFuels is that they can not only be transported via existing transport routes and means, but that an infrastructure can also be used for distribution, namely the filling station. And combustion engines have no trouble converting eFuel into power.
For our old cars, eFuel is undoubtedly the better and more ecological alternative to electrification, because the production of the battery pack will probably never be amortized over the short distance an old car travels.
However, Braun believes that scaling up eFuel production is hardly worthwhile for classic cars alone; the new car business is relevant and it will be necessary to wait and see how regulation by states and communities of states develops before making major investments.
Formula 1 is soon to run on eFuel. Apparently, a project is also underway to run motorsport on synthetic fuel at hill climb races in Switzerland. Overall, the chances are perhaps not so bad that we will one day be able to fill up our classic cars with eFuel.
It should also be said that the new Emil Frey Classics branch at Utoquai 55 in Zurich is always worth a visit, not only because of the beautiful classic Aston Martin and Jaguar sports cars, but also because you can enjoy a cappuccino or espresso at the bar while philosophizing about the beautiful cars of yesteryear.
In addition, the new branch offers almost all the services for classic cars that previously required a trip to Safenwil - a strong argument for the demanding and numerically important Zurich clientele, as Emil Frey Classics manager Hannes Gautschi explains.
The new branch in Zurich is also symbolic of the company's values, as Lorenz Frey, the third generation of the family to work at Emil Frey, explained.
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