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The Volkswagen group’s future CEO, Oliver Blume, who is set to take the reins at the German carmaker on 1 September, has again expressed his support for electrofuels, also known as e-fuels and snythetic fuels, Spiegel . In an interview with trade magazine Autombilwoche, Blume said the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement could not be achieved with electric vehicles alone, adding that e-fuels were a sensible addition to electromobility. There will still be vehicles with internal combustion engines decades from now, he added, stressing that with synthetic fuels, these cars could make a contribution to rapid CO2 reduction. Unlike his predecessor, outgoing VW CEO Herbert Diess, Blume has championed the development and use of e-fuels as CEO of VW’s Porsche brand – a position he will continue to hold. Diess, who was fired by the board in July, had focused on battery-electric cars and rejected e-fuels due to their poor efficiency and high energy consumption during production, an assessment that is widely shared by critics.

Synthetic combustible fuels can be used as low-carbon replacements for petrol or diesel, allowing carmakers to continue manufacturing combustible engine vehicles. In 2020, Blume predicted synthetic fuels would be widely available by 2030 at a cost of around 2 euros per litre. VW looks set make its entry into Formula 1 racing with its Porsche and Audi brands, whose racing cars would run on e-fuels from 2026. Blume has recently faced criticism over allegations that he influenced German finance minister Christian Lindner and the government’s coalition agreement that didn't rule out the use of e-fuels for cars in the future.