MAHLE und Porsche: E-Fuel für die Zukunft

How can direct CO2 savings be achieved in the existing fleet? This could be through the use of regeneratively produced synthetic fuels that are added to the conventional fuel.

MAHLE is "E-Fuel ready"

For this reason, MAHLE has investigated together with Porsche the impact of synthetic fuels on MAHLE components and published the results at the 40th Vienna Motor Symposium.

Watch the video showing the key results of the joint project with Porsche here!

How can the existing fleet become more environmentally friendly?

Does the video convince you? We know that alternative fuels from regenerative sources offer substantial potential for reducing transportation-related CO2 emissions. Therefore, in the interest of climate protection, they should be part of the drive mix of the future. This is already very diverse—the perfect drive type does not exist. Instead, there is only ever the right type of drive for a specific use. Particularly if emissions are viewed in terms of “cradle to grave”—in other words, over the entire lifetime of a vehicle—this could be an electric drive, a hybrid drive, a fuel cell drive, or a conventional drive with an internal combustion engine. It depends on the load, distance, and application.

MAHLE is thus specifically investigating the compatibility of its engine components and filters with the use of various e-fuels. The result clearly shows that many of the MAHLE materials and components that have been tested so far are already “e-fuel ready.”

At MAHLE, we have not only tested the resistance of components and materials when using pure synfuels, but also that of fuel blends with e-fuels that can be admixed under current fuel standards.

How can the existing fleet become more environmentally friendly?

Can the entire vehicle population be replaced from one day to the next by vehicles with lower emissions? Of course not. Thanks to their backward compatibility, admixtures within the current fuel standards are therefore especially promising, as they include the existing global vehicle population in CO2 reduction. The resulting lever is greater by a factor of about 20, given sufficient availability of regenerative fuel in Europe, than for measures that apply only to new vehicles. And MAHLE is specifically committed to considering this potential as a supplement to e-mobility in the drive mix of the future.

“The admixture of e-fuels can immediately produce great savings potential. If allowed, this can be a decisive step toward achieving the 37.5 percent CO2 savings mandated at EU level relative to 2021,” explains Dr. Otmar Scharrer, Head of Research and Advanced Engineering at MAHLE. “Our tests indicate that many of the MAHLE engine components and filters tested to date are ready for the admixture of e-fuels. We are providing our customers with the means to fully exploit this potential.”

MAHLE leads the way

As part of the series of test runs, MAHLE is also testing what proportion of a fuel that is outside of the current standards can be used in engine operation without any changes to hardware or software. The tests have demonstrated that engine performance comparable to the use of purely fossil fuels is achievable with the admixture of certain e-fuels as well, while maintaining series production data sets and injection systems. No measurable difference in the combustion process was found for the tested e-fuels. Emissions behavior was actually even better than for purely fossil fuels in large areas of the operating map. From a thermodynamic perspective, MAHLE therefore assumes that these e-fuels will be technically backward compatible for the admixture of up to 20 percent.

 

We regard this as a very promising approach. However, legislative support in terms of expanded fuel standards is needed for its implementation.