In short: biofuels are based on a biological raw material. Quite simply, as they grow, plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and in the process reduce the CO2 in the air. When the biofuel is burned and releases the same CO2, this is offset by what was removed during the production process. It is therefore a sustainable cycle, with a net balance of zero.
Likewise, synthetic fuels take carbon from the atmosphere during their production, and release it again when consumed. The production of e-fuels is in fact based on the extraction of hydrogen through an electrolysis process.
This process aims to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The splitting requires electricity, hence the name e-fuels. The intermediate product obtained in the first step needs a second step to become the finished product. The hydrogen is combined with CO2 extracted from the air and converted into the fuel we commonly call e-fuel. This reduction in CO2 is then offset by the CO2 emitted during combustion, resulting in a net balance of zero.
A new opportunity for the internal combustion engine
In recent months there have also been developments regarding the interpretation of the European Commission’s rules on CO2 emission reductions, which now seem to include additional zero emissions as well. This seems to bring attention back to the use of combustion engines. However, for the time being this opportunity remains limited to synthetic fuels only. In future, this CO2 neutrality policy is likely to be extended to biofuels as well, which Italy, together with other countries, supports.
The electric car in Italy is a hybrid
As Prof. Orecchini points out, discussions on social media focus only on electric as the alternative to the combustion engine, but it is important to remember that the hybrid car exists too. This topic has perhaps escaped the general debate but not the market, which seems to be growing before our eyes.
This type of vehicle is becoming ever more popular, in both the plug-in and mild-hybrid versions (the latter cannot be called a true electric). For the few who still do not know, a plug-in hybrid car has two engines, an internal combustion engine and an electric one, with the option of recharging the batteries at an external charging point, as with a fully electric car.
The plug-in hybrid offers the reassurance of also having a petrol or diesel engine for occasional very long journeys or when no electricity is available. It also has the advantage that, when running on the combustion engine, it recharges the battery that powers the electric motor.
A bit like the dynamo on our bicycle, which produced energy as we pedalled to light the bulb. Hybrid technology is particularly efficient in urban centres and in suburban areas, where the electric and combustion engines can work in symbiosis.
The Italian market is showing a growing preference for the hybrid car in all its forms, perhaps because it is more reassuring for Italian users. Even though charging infrastructure is growing before our eyes, in favour of predominantly electric use.
But let’s talk about it with the Professor.
Prof. Orecchini is also a populariser in the automotive sector. You can follow him on his website https://www.fabioorecchini.it or on his YouTube channel.
