EUBCE 2024 - Nicolas KURTSOGLOU - 100% renewable Ethanol E85 fuel for petrol cars after 2035

100% renewable Ethanol E85 fuel for petrol cars after 2035

Short Introductive summary

In April 2023, the Council and the European Parliament adopted a new regulation for CO2 emissions of light duty vehicles. From 2035, it would allow only electric cars and cars running exclusively on CO2 neutral fuels. Member States are now discussing the definition of such fuels. A dozen countries among which Italy are asking for a broad definition including e-fuels, biofuels, biogas and all renewable as defined in the Renewable Energy Directive in order to respect the principle of technology neutrality. According to a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study commissioned by Bioethanol France from IFPen, a French institute specialized in the mobility, in 2022, total LCA CO2 emission level of a C segment plug-in hybrid vehicle running on current Ethanol E85 is equivalent to a 60 kW battery electric vehicle using France’s very low carbon electricity mix. With realistic assumptions of further CO2 emissions reduction from bioethanol, electricity and battery production, for a PHEV running on 100% renewable E85 fuel, this equivalence would remain valid in 2040. In this context, a new study has been commissioned by Bioethanol France from IFPen to assess different formulas of 100% renewable E85 fuel where the fossil gasoline share is replaced by 3 renewable components: A model e-naphta base, a fatal co-product of e-kerosene obtained by the Fischer-Tropsch process (e-fuel) A model bionaphta base, a fatal co-product of HEFA paraffinic diesel and aviation fuels (HVO). An Ethanol To Gasoline (ETG) base. The results showed that the pollutant emissions from such 100% renewable E85 fuels are at least 80% below the pollutant emission limits of the future Euro 7 Regulation. In conclusion, 100% renewable Ethanol E85 fuel will be a complementary solution to battery electric vehicle for the decarbonization of the existing car fleet and new cars and help improve air quality. Moreover, 100% Ethanol E85 fuel mixing bioethanol and bionaphta already exists in California and it represents around one third of the E85 sales volumes in 2022.