Porsche Will Start Making Synthetic Fuels Earlier Than Planned

It wasn't so long ago that Porsche started leaning pretty hard into EVs. Of course, there's the Porsche Taycan, the brand's answer to the Tesla Model S. We also know that the 718 series of cars, which is made up of the Boxster and Cayman, will be the brand's first all-electric sports car. There's even going to be a bespoke charging network for those new EVs. On top of that, Porsche has said that 40% of all Porsche models sold in Europe were either fully electric or plug-in hybrids.

But Porsche is still hedging its bets on EVs. The company has shown interest in sustainable fuels before, and now the Stuttgart brand has put some serious cash down on sustainable fuels. The brand announced a $75 million investment in HIF Global LLC, a holding company of "internationally active project developers of eFuel production facilities."

The company, based out of Santiago, is building an eFuel plant in Punta Arenas, Chile. Porsche, along with partners Siemens Energy and ExxonMobil, will produce eFuels from hydrogen and C02 using wind energy for mid-2022. A number of other companies have also invested in the eFuel company, whose total investments now reach the "low nine-figure range" according to Porsche. What's better, Porsche says that these new electricity-based synthetic fuels will enable almost totally C02-neutral operation of a combustion engine. And the benefits of that are plain to see.

Porsche cites benefits across the transportation sector, from its own gas-powered cars like the Porsche 911 to the aviation and shipping sectors. As for us auto enthusiasts, the widespread use of a sustainable gas-like fuel is rife with potential. Imagine being able to rock up to a gas station and make your once-dirty classic 911 almost totally carbon neutral. We can have our cake and eat it too.

Initially, Porsche plans to use the Chilean eFuel in its "flagship motorsport projects" (Formula 1, anyone?). In the future, Porsche hopes the fuel will be available to customers via Porsche Experience Centers. The brand also plans to use sustainable fuel during initial fuelling at the factory. Hopefully, that means modifications won't need to be made to cars to have them run this sustainable fuel, another benefit for gearheads. Porsche EVs and hybrid 911s are cool, but we're extremely excited about the idea of a carbon-neutral, air-cooled 911.