Synthetic fuel (e-fuel) could also be a solution for Dacia cars, as the brand will have to gradually move towards “clean energy”, says Gilles Le Bourgne, Renault’s chief technical officer. In an interview for Automotive newsHe says there are two big problems with this synthetic fuel.

Dacia and synthetic fuel, a possible solution in a few years

Asked what Renault’s plans are for the use of synthetic fuels in the group’s future new models, the official said: “It will be an opportunity to review EU emissions rules around 2026. This could also be a solution for Dacia, as the brand will have to gradually transition to clean energy.”

• A new era for the automotive industry – what is synthetic fuel and why it will NOT slow down the development of electric cars

Companies such as BMW, Toyota and Stellantis have expressed interest in e-fuels, as has Renault, which is working with Saudi giant Aramco to develop synthetic fuels.

The partnership with Aramco was mentioned by a Renault spokesman, who said the car group was already testing synthetic fuel from “pilot plants”. He added that there are obvious advantages, but there are also two disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. One has to do with how the EU analyzes and quantifies carbon emissions from cars, and the other has to do with the fact that you have to have enough ‘green energy’ to start with to produce ‘e-fuel’ (solar, wind) and Efficiency largely depends on the availability of these environmentally friendly energy sources.

Companies such as Total, Shell or Aramco operate in countries with many hours of sunshine and where there are also windy areas, and only there they can invest in e-fuel, says a Renault representative.

In May, Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault group, said that Dacia will fully electrify its range as soon as possible, and that these “e-fuels” are a way to decarbonize Dacia’s affordable range, referring to models with thermal engines. Dacia only has one electric model in the range, the Spring, and a second model is NOT coming anytime soon.

In March, Saudi Aramco Group signed a letter of intent to become a minority shareholder in a new power unit production company to be created by Renault Group together with China’s Geely.

Aramco’s investment will support the company’s development and contribute to research and development of solutions based on synthetic fuels and next-generation technologies in the field of hydrogen power plants, the press release said at the time.

Electronic fuel – why it is not yet used in many cars.

Proponents of synthetic fuel say it has many advantages, but the question is, why aren’t millions of cars running on “e-fuel” if it’s so great? The answer is mainly related to production costs and the fact that there is no very large production capacity. Currently, the price of these types of fuel is at least twice as high as gasoline.

We will remind you that Germany pushed and after a strong lobby achieved what it wanted: even after 2035, it will be possible to sell cars with a heat engine, but on synthetic fuel, in Europe. Details are to be determined in the coming years.

The production of this synthetic fuel requires a huge amount of electricity from renewable sources, which is difficult to obtain. High production costs also mean high costs at the pump in Europe, where things have risen dramatically over the past year.

Many say that this “e-fuel” is a kind of “Trojan horse” of the car industry, which wants to continue the production of cars with heat engines as long as possible and delay electrification as much as possible.

The NGO Transport and Environment (T&E) has estimated that a liter of fuel could cost €2.82 “at the gas station” in France in 2030, 50% more expensive than petrol today.

Environmental experts warn that the energy output of this synthetic fuel is clearly lower than that of gasoline and electricity, production is expensive, and production processes are only at the beginning, so billions of euros will still need to be invested. Even when these industrial processes are developed, the estimate is that too little fuel can be produced compared to what would be necessary to have many millions of “e-fuel” cars.