En route for the future

Extraction of oil will not be possible under economically justifiable conditions for very much longer. The need for oil is increasing and therefore so is its price. In sofar as we are aware at present, it can be assumed that mineral oil output will have reached its maximum in about 15 years’ time. After that, demand will exceed supply and a drastic explosion in costs can be expected. As such, it is much too precious a commodity "just to be burned" as we have done in the past. And let us not forget the additional problem of emissions caused by combustion, which place a considerable burden on the environment.

Oil is the world’s most widely used primary energy resource, and every year its combustion contributes roughly 10 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the growing greenhouse effect. That corresponds to approximately 42 percent of global CO2 output. In Germany road traffic is responsible for more than half of all CO2 emissions arising from oil combustion. With three-quarters of a billion cars now on the world’s roads, clearly it will soon be essential to have an alternative to oil-based fuels available in large quantities.

Evolution not revolution
That’s why Volkswagen has developed its Fuel Strategy. The strategy represents a roadmap to sustainable mobility – a roadmap which already applies and can be taken further step-by-step. Volkswagen’s aim is to help bring down the global output of the climatically relevant gas CO2, reduce local emissions such as nitrous oxides and soot particles and last but not least to limit our dependency on oil.

Apart from being as economical as possible in the way we handle fuels, a secure energy supply for the future means the use of alternative sources of energy in the medium to long term. These include above all renewable, CO2-neutral energy resources. But Volkswagen’s Fuel Strategy also makes room for conventional fuels derived from crude oil, as we believe we will have to rely on these for a certain time yet. It is therefore all the more important that we continue to optimize their properties and reduce emissions in the process. An important part of this process is to reduce sulphur content and do away with aromatics. But there is little point restricting optimization of fuels in this way just to Europe – it is a process that must happen worldwide.

The future is synthetic
At some point in the future, hydrogen will become a primary energy resource and the drive principle associated with it will be the fuel cell. But until then – and it will be at least 20 years before we reach that point – liquid synthetic fuels, the so-called SynFuels, will have a key role to play. These fuels can be produced from a number of different primary feedstocks, and they include notably natural gas, already available in large quantities today, and biomass. What is more, these fuels permit the continued use of existing infrastructure and proven combustion engine technology.

On the other hand, bringing a variety of alternative fuels such as methanol, ethanol, natural gas and hydrogen to market is not an economically viable option. That would call for too many different new production technologies, engine designs and distribution infrastructures. In sum it would mean substantial cost and effort and a virtually unpredictable level of risk – factors which could well prevent a new fuel making a successful breakthrough. In the case of biodiesel and bioalcohols, e.g. ethanol, blending with conventional fuels in line with existing fuel standards offers a more productive approach.

The core of our Fuel Strategy lies in the diversification of feedstocks (energy resources) not of fuels. The idea is to use a range of different raw materials to produce fuels. Volkswagen is aiming to ensure a more widespread use of CO2-neutral biomass, such as wood, straw or energy crops, from which synthetic fuel can be derived in just the same way as from natural gas. The result is a sulphur and aromatics–free diesel fuel, which upon combustion emits far fewer pollutants into the atmosphere and only as much CO2 as was previously taken up by the plants during photosynthesis. That’s why we call this fuel SunFuel®.

The advantages of using biomass as a primary feedstock
The carbon dioxide generated by a car powered by SunFuel® has been taken up from the atmosphere by the plants that provide the energy. Effectively, the solar energy that made the plants grow is converted into liquid fuel by technical means. That is why we call this synthetic fuel derived from biomass SunFuel®. Fossil fuels, by contrast, lead to higher overall CO2 concentrations as a result of ever-increasing volumes of CO2 being released into the tmosphere.

Engine and fuel will in future form a single unit
SynFuel and SunFuel® are an ideal complement to oil-based fuels. But it is easier to fine-tune the exact chemical and physical properties of synthetic fuels than is the case at present with conventional fuels. That’s why we call SynFuel and SunFuel® “designer fuels” – fuels which can be used as a design element in engine development – for a new cylinder head, for example. With SynFuel and SunFuel® it is possible to improve both fuel and engine in tandem, with the result that what started out as a fuel strategy soon becomes a fuel and drive strategy. These two energy resources complement each other in a remarkable way, since the technology allows the time necessary for the fuel cell systems and hydrogen economy of the future to become competitive over new generation combustion engines.

Before fuel cell drive reaches production standard, there are still a number of technical and logistical obstacles which will take some considerable time to overcome. But for now Volkswagen is banking on SunFuel® to make a contribution to sustainable mobility with immediate effect.