In its Dare Forward 2030 plan, the Stellantis Group is committed to the energy transition, with the ambition of offering only electric cars in Europe from 2030. However, Stellantis is not forgetting other technologies to reduce carbon emissions. CO2, in particular the eFuel fuel which, according to the group, is compatible with 24 families of engines produced by Stellantis since 2014.
After several months of testing at its technical centres across Europe, Stellantis has concluded that 24 of the engine families fitted to its European vehicles sold since 2014, representing 28 million vehicles on the road, are capable of using a "drop-in" synthetic fuel without any modification to the powertrain. The tests were conducted using drop-in eFuels supplied by Aramco, one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.
Low carbon eFuel is a synthetic fuel produced by the reaction between CO2, taken directly from the atmosphere or from an industrial plant, and renewable hydrogen. The use of a low carbon synthetic fuel could potentially reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of existing internal combustion vehicles by at least 70% over their entire lifecycle compared to conventional fuels.
Ned Curic, Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer, said: "Our priority is to deliver zero emission mobility for all, with a particular focus on electrification. Our collaboration with Aramco is an important and complementary step for vehicles already in circulation. We are exploring all solutions to achieve our ambitious strategy of carbon neutrality by 2038. Drop-in synthetic fuels can have a massive and almost immediate impact on reducing CO2 emissions from the existing fleet. They offer our customers an easy and affordable solution to reduce their carbon footprint: as simple as choosing a different pump at the filling station and without any additional modifications to their vehicles. "
For his part, Amer Amer, Chief Technologist at Aramco Transport, said: "We are delighted to be working with Stellantis, one of the world's leading car manufacturers, to evaluate the performance of our fuel formulations, which are designed to have the characteristics of a high-performance fuel. synthesis perfectly adapted to the engines of their existing vehicles. The results of these tests reinforce our view that eFuels can be a turnkey solution for the vehicle fleet. When produced using a low-carbon process, these fuels can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions from the transport sector and supporting an effective energy transition."
Through its Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis aims to halve its carbon footprint by 2030 compared to 2021 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2038. Stellantis believes that the use of low carbon eFuels in 28 million of its European vehicles could reduce up to 400 million tonnes of CO2 in Europe between 2025 and 2050. Stellantis' testing of synthetic alternative fuels includes exhaust emissions, starting ability, engine performance, reliability, oil dilution, durability of fuel tank, hoses and filters, and performance of fuels in extreme cold or hot temperatures.
Aramco currently has two demonstration plants exploring the production of low-emission synthetic fuels. In Saudi Arabia, Aramco and ENOWA (NEOM's water and energy company) are working to produce synthetic petrol for cars. Meanwhile, in Bilbao, Spain, Aramco and Repsol are exploring the production of low-emission synthetic diesel and jet fuel for cars and aircraft. Finally, Aramco is also working with motorsport and competition teams to test and demonstrate the potential of low-carbon fuels as a complementary solution to reducing carbon emissions from internal combustion engine vehicles.