Speaking to the British at Autocar, McLaren COO Jens Ludmann revealed that the brand believes that the Synthetic fuels can be an alternative to electric cars in the “battle” to reduce CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.
According to Ludmann, “if we take into account that these (synthetic fuels) can be produced using solar energy, easily transported and used (…) there are potential benefits in terms of emissions and practicality that I would like to explore”.
McLaren's COO added, "Current engines would only need minor modifications, so I'd like to see this technology get more media attention."
And the electric ones?
Despite believing in the added value of synthetic fuels in terms of CO2 emissions — one of the ingredients used in their production is, precisely, CO2 —, especially when we include the emissions associated with the production of batteries in the equation, Ludmann does not believe that they totally replace electric cars.
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Thus, McLaren's COO prefers to point out: "I'm not saying this to delay battery technology, but to remind you that there may be valid alternatives that we should consider."
Finally, Jens Ludmann also stated: “it is still difficult to know how far synthetic fuels are from production (…), as battery technology is well known”.
Taking this into account, Ludmann launched an idea: "We still have the potential to combine synthetic fuels with hybrid systems, which would allow for a reduction in emissions."
It is now McLaren's plans to develop a prototype that uses synthetic fuels, in order to understand how viable they are and what advantages this technology can offer.
Source: Autocar
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