Aramco and Stellantis Collaboration Implies eFuel Compatibility for European engines
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.
Amsterdam Netherlands / Dhahran, Saudi Arabia- Stellantis N.V., has found 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, following months of testing at its technical centers around Europe. Aramco, provided surrogate eFuels 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 eFuel has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from current internal combustion cars by at least 70% over their lifetimes.
Ned Curic, Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer, said, “Our priority is providing zero-emission mobility for all with a focus on electrification, while our collaboration with Aramco is an important and complementary step in this journey for existing fleets on the road. We are exploring all solutions to reinforce our ambitious strategy of becoming a carbon net zero company by 2038. Drop-in eFuels can have a massive and almost immediate impact on reducing the CO2 emissions of the existing vehicle fleet, offering our customers an easy and economically efficient option to reduce their carbon footprint — one as simple as choosing a different fuel pump at the station, with no additional modification to their vehicles.”
Amer Amer, Aramco Transport Chief Technologist said, “We are delighted to work with Stellantis, one of the world’s leading automakers, to assess the performance of our fuel formulations that are designed to represent expected eFuel characteristics in its existing vehicle engines. The results of the testing reinforce our view that synthetic fuel can be a drop-in solution in existing vehicles, and when produced via a low-carbon pathway it can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector and supporting an orderly energy transition.”
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 eFuels 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.
