When a huge asteroid smashed into our planet millions of years ago, it caused such great climate change that life on earth almost ended, particularly the dinosaurs. Climate change is also the reason why there is this urgency to switch to electric power for cars and stop using internal combustion (IC) engines which generate carbon dioxide (CO2), the culprit in global warming.
Unlike the death of the dinosaurs, the IC engines cannot just ‘die’ so fast, much as environmentalists would like them to. There are still more than 1.3 billion vehicles with IC engines on the planet, providing mobility to millions who won’t or can’t easily switch to electric vehicles (EVs). And all these vehicles require fuel to run… coincidentally derived from those dinosaurs which died. The combustion process that generates power for an engine also sends out CO2, so the solution has been to stop that process which should reduce the gas levels.
The new 911 GT3 Cup (992) makes its racing debut in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monaco Grand Prix this weekend and it will be the first time the car’s 4-litre naturally aspirated engine will run on Esso Renewable Racing Fuel. Referred to as ‘eFuel’, this is a blend of fuels mostly made of lower carbon, renewable, bio-based components.
The first racetrack test of the Esso Renewable Racing Fuels was held 2 months ago at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. As in the entire 2021 season, the first version of Esso Renewable Racing Fuels will be used there. This is mainly based on an advanced biofuel whose raw materials consist of organic waste. On this basis, an ExxonMobil team of scientists and engineers composed a racing fuel that, in initial tests, has shown the potential for significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
Second version to be used next year In the course of the 2022 season, the two companies plan to use the second version of the Esso Renewable Racing Fuels which, for the most part consists of eFuels. These eFuels are the focus of the collaboration between ExxonMobil and Porsche. eFuels are synthetic fuels that are generated using renewable energy from hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the air.
With the eFuel-based Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85% if it complies with the current fuel standard according to the necessary blending. The eFuel comes from the Haru Oni pilot plant in Chile that generates hydrogen, which is then combined with captured carbon dioxide drawn from the atmosphere to produce methanol. ExxonMobil is providing a license and support for the proprietary technology to convert the methanol which will result in a lower-carbon fuel.
Future consumer adoption potential In the pilot phase, over 130,000 litres of eFuels will be produced in 2022. Porsche and ExxonMobil are working together to gain valuable experiences to find pathways toward potential future consumer adoption. The switch to so-called eFuel is planned over the course of the 2022 season. As the main buyer of this fuel, Porsche will use the eFuels from Chile in the Porsche Experience Centres in addition to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in the 2022 season.
“Purely electrically powered vehicles have the highest priority for us,” emphasized Michael Steiner, member of the Board of Management for Research and Development at Porsche. “eFuels complement our drive strategy perfectly. They offer our customers the option of driving cars with combustion engines and plug-in hybrids that are almost CO2-neutral. By working with ExxonMobil, we can test the eFuels under demanding conditions on the racetrack. We are thus taking another step on the way to a marketable and CO2-reduced eFuel that can replace conventional fuels.”
Mobilub Trading Sdn Bhd, ExonMobil’s distributor in Malaysia has signed a three year agreement with Nasim Sdn Bhd, Peugeot’s local authorised dealer, which will see all 35 Peugeot service centres use Mobil lubricants.
According to the automaker, this partnership signifies both companies’ commitment to bringing high-quality products to customers in Malaysia and to strengthen their reputation as the wold leading brands in the automotive industry.
“Mobil lubricants is the recommended choice for Peugeot car owners who are looking to protect their engines without compromising on their vehicle’s performance”, said Dato Samson Anand George, Group Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn.Bhd.
“At ExxonMobil, we are committed to providing the best lubricant solutions for car owners to bring out high-performance and proven long engine life”, said Pajaree Meekangvan, Southeast Asia Cluster Sales Manager at ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Both Mobilub and Nasim have been working together for the past two years and this new agreement cements their commitment to each other and Peugeot owners in Malaysia to offer the best automotive solutions that are available right now.
