Porsche says its synthetic fuel will make internal combustion as clean as EVs

With the automotive world rapidly heading towards electrification and governments banning the sale of internal combustion engine cars in the coming decades, it would seem that the days of traditional cars are numbered. However, a few automakers, including Porsche, Audi and Mazda, have been investing in synthetic fuels that could be just as clean as electric vehicles.

In a recent interview with Evo magazine, Porsche VP of Motorsport and GT cars, Dr. Frank Walliser, says that synthetic fuels, also called eFuels, can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of existing ICE cars by as much as 85 percent. And, he says, when you account for the wheel-to-well impact of manufacturing the EV, it's a wash.

Synthetic fuels are made by extracting hydrogen via renewable energy, and capturing it liquid form with carbon dioxide. Compared to pump fuel, eFuels emit fewer particulates and nitrogen oxide as well. That's because, as Walliser explains, they are composed of eight to 10 ingredients while the dead plants we mine contain 30 to 40, many of which are simply burned and emitted as pollution in the process.

While Porsche is continuing to develop EVs like the Taycan, it says that ICEs will continue to exist in the market for many years to come. Synthetic fuels, along with electrified cars, would be part of a multi-pronged approach to reducing emissions as quickly as possible. Mazda gave a similar statement a couple weeks earlier when it became the first car company to join Europe's eFuel Alliance.

Though they didn't explicitly say so, it would seem that carmakers like Porsche and Mazda have a vested interest in keeping their iconic models on the road as well. Synthetic fuels would allow owners to continue driving them without any modification to the existing engines.

According to Evo, Porsche plans, at least initially, to only use synthetic fuels in motorsports applications and at its Porsche Experience Centers. Porsche will have 130,000 liters (approx. 34,000 gallons) available by 2022 and will conduct its first trials then.

Porsche highlights what makes the Cross Turismo different from the Taycan

Porsche is putting the final test miles on the Taycan Cross Turismo, an electric wagon due out in early 2021. As we wait for the official unveiling, the company highlighted some of the key differences between its two EVs.

Although it's fully covered in camouflage, the Cross Turismo leaves little to the imagination because it was previewed by the Mission E Cross Turismo concept presented at the 2018 Geneva show. It's visibly related to the Taycan, and the two share a front end, but the wagon gains a taller roof with a set of rails and a more upright hatch. It's still characterized by a form-over-function approach to design; it's not as boxy as, say, a Volvo 245.

Shapely and spacious aren't mutually exclusive. Extending the Taycan's roof line clears up more space for the second-row passengers, and Porsche in turn mounted the rear bench higher to make the cabin easier to get in and out of. Of course, the wagon offers more cargo space than its fastback-like counterpart.

"With the Taycan Cross Turismo, we wanted to offer a little bit more space, a little more flexibility and versatility," said Stefan Weckbach, the head of the Taycan line. He pointed out he can fit a mountain bike in the trunk.

Specifications haven't been released yet, but the Cross Turismo's range, horsepower, and acceleration figures will presumably look a lot like the Taycan's. It will gain ground clearance thanks to a modified suspension system, however, and Weckbach revealed a body style-specific driving mode will make the wagon more capable on dirt roads. It won't take you down the Rubicon Trail, but it will be more comfortable on dirt roads than the Taycan.

Porsche will introduce the Taycan Cross Turismo in early 2021, so about three years after the design study made its debut in Switzerland. Sales will start shortly after, and deliveries should begin in time for the 2022 model year.

Launched in 2020, at the height of the ongoing pandemic, the Taycan ended the year as Porsche's fourth-best-selling model in the United States, behind the Macan, the Cayenne, and the 911 but ahead of the Panamera. Expanding the range will ensure that demand remains high on both sides of the Atlantic.