2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS test shows synthetic fuel is a step closer to reality

Porsche has used an ice-driving event to prove its ambitious synthetic fuels program is not just a laboratory experiment.

A 2022 Porsche 718 GT4 RS was seen at the GP Ice Race event in Zell am See, Austria, powered exclusively by Porsche’s eFuel, which is manufactured by a new facility jointly-run by Porsche and Siemens Energy.

While Porsche has previously only used its synthetic fuel in motorsport, the use of the biofuel inside a new production-ready and unmodified 718 Cayman GT4 RS is seen as a significant step in its development.

Synthetic fuel is seen as an answer to keep alive the internal combustion engine amid the hype over electric cars and concerns about future oil reserves.

The synthetic fuel by Porsche splits water and hydrogen into separate components by electrolysis. The hydrogen is then processed with carbon dioxide from the air to make a methanol – which can then be refined into synthetic raw petrol.

This raw petrol can then be processed into a standards-compliant petrol, which can be used in all petrol-powered combustion engines without modification.

The fuel is reportedly produced with electricity generated by wind power.

Porsche has thrown its weight behind the lower-emissions technology and sees the benefits ranging as wide as using the eFuel inside its classic vehicles, and on logistical applications such as powering its freight vehicles.

Porsche and Siemens Energy have opened a world-first Hanu Oni eFuel factory to manufacture synthetic fuels in Magallanes Province of southern Chile, which takes advantage of the regions unique windy conditions.

From 2022, the synthetic fuel factory is expected to produce 130,000 litres of eFuel, all of which is said to be earmarked for Porsche. The facility is said to ramp up to 55 million litres by 2024 and over half a billion litres by 2026.

The almost-carbon-neutral eFuel is seen by Porsche as an important stepping stone to cleaner petrol, while some regions temporarily lack the infrastructure for full battery electric vehicles.

“We urgently need a solution for the sustainable operation of existing fleets,” rally legend and Porsche ambassador Walter Röhrl said at the GP Ice Race preview.

“This goal can be achieved with green fuels, which are a sensible complement to electric vehicles.”

“It’s a great hope of mine that in the future I will be able to drive old cars without a bad conscience because I am running them on eFuels,” adds Röhrl.