“E-fuels will not stop the transition to electric driving”

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2035. In fact, from 2025 only electric cars will be allowed to be leased. Germany is now resisting the ban. “Even e-fuels will not turn the tide,” says Autovisie editor-in-chief Jaco Bijlsma in an interview with De Telegraaf.

Opposition to the ban on internal combustion engines does not come out of the blue. There was already criticism of the plans from Germany last year. Despite this, Europe has decided to say goodbye to internal combustion engine cars.

Germany against ban on internal combustion engines

The chairman of the German governing party FDP Christian Lindner opposes European politics. The internal combustion engine is indispensable for Germany as an export country. It seems unlikely that Germany will actually block European plans. In addition, the German car manufacturers have long been committed to the electric car.

However, 2035 might still be too early. “I think things are going too fast,” says Bijlsma. “We are doing well in the Netherlands and we are way ahead. Scandinavia is also far ahead. Nevertheless, one hears stories of an overloaded power grid again and again. If we all want to drive electric cars, there is still a lot to be done here. In Europe it’s a completely different story. In France and Spain, for example, most people still drive diesel.”

synthetic fuels

Although Bijlsma assumes that we will mainly drive electrically in the future, there could also be a place for synthetic fuels. Porsche is investing massively in this and has now built the first factory for e-fuels. “Porsche has many electric models, but there are also many classic Porsches. For these cars, a synthetic fuel could be the solution.” Synthetic fuel may also be an option for trucks, although Bijlsma does not rule out the role of hydrogen as a “diesel replacement”.

Neither e-fuels nor hydrogen are currently a real alternative, they are far too expensive and complex to produce on a large scale.