The European Union is currently contemplating a mandate which stipulates that e-fuel cars must be 100% carbon neutral if they are to be sold beyond 2035. This proposition emerges as a response to Germany’s call for an exemption for these vehicles from the complete phasing out of new polluting vehicles.
In line with the EU’s chief climate policy, all new cars sold within the bloc from 2035 are expected to have zero CO2 emissions. This policy is in sync with a draft EU legal proposal that seeks to make it mandatory for e-fuel cars to run entirely on CO2 neutral fuels. By this definition, these cars are considered carbon neutral when the CO2 emissions generated during fuel combustion are balanced out by captured CO2 emissions.
Interestingly, these proposed rules appear to be more stringent than other EU climate policies, which currently allow countries to meet renewable energy targets using fuels that achieve a 70% emissions saving, not the 100% that e-fuel cars are expected to meet.
This draft law, which is anticipated to be published in December, forms part of a wider EU plan to reduce CO2 emissions from transport by 90% by 2050. It is worth noting that the draft law will also require e-fuel producers to prove that their products do not contribute to deforestation or loss of biodiversity, thereby extending its environmental stewardship beyond just CO2 emissions.
However, critics argue that the production of e-fuels is energy-intensive, as it requires a significant amount of electricity to produce hydrogen and capture CO2. This argument brings to the fore the need for comprehensive environmental impact assessments that take into account the entire lifecycle of these fuels.
Despite such criticism, the EU views e-fuels as a vital component of its plan to fully decarbonize the transport sector by 2050. This stance underscores the importance of innovation and technological advancement in mitigating the effects of climate change and advancing the cause of sustainable development.
