Much of the focus on the future of vehicles has been on electric, but in a pair of research plants in Germany, Audi is working towards an increasingly diverse picture that includes e-diesel and e-gas.
E-gas is a fuel produced by combining electrolysis and methanation. First, electricity is used to break water into hydrogen and oxygen separately, before hydrogen is forced into a reaction with CO2 to yield synthetic methane. Another methanation method is being achieved via biological means in Audi’s Allendorf facility
The product produced is very similar to natural gas, which theoretically means that distributed Audi’s e-gas product to filling stations and into vehicles at a large scale should be relatively viable.
The company is also working on developing e-diesel and e-ethanol using chemical combustion, they predict that these fuels could be similar to electric vehicles (EVs) in terms of CO2 sooner rather than later, though they are among the manufacturers who are ramping up their activities in terms of releasing EVs and fuel cell models.
As is so often the case, the greatest opportunity for transitioning to a more effective system appears to be in diversity. EVs are unquestionably part of the mobility picture moving forward, especially in cities, but Audi’s latest research could also play a significant role in mobility that provides better economic opportunities, is more effective and less harmful to the environment. All of this can also be enhanced by a better framework and structure enhanced by utilising trends including sharing, automation and others. Read Circulate’s three-part “Future of Mobility” series for an in-depth perspective.
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