Thread by @AukeHoekstra

What a sad story: German car manufacturers association @VDA_online commits to climate neutrality by 2050...
BUT...
sees important role for combustion engines & eFuels
(a hideously expensive & inefficient combo).

Only @VWGroup embraces the electric future.
cleanenergywire.org/news/german-ca…

If you are wondering why I scoff at eFuels for cars, just look at the chart. And know that all these efficiency reducing steps require expensive equipment too as @transenv shows in its famous efficiency charts.
transportenvironment.org/press/e-fuels-…

Also know that heavy trucks will be able to drive without weight penalty and at much lower energy and maintenance costs in a few years, due to the electric drivetrain being lighter (researchgate.net/publication/33…)...

and due to the fact that over 80% of trucks travels no more than ~750 km a day and then returns to base where they can charge overnight.

That 80% will be electrified very soon without any need for expensive and inefficient eFuels as discussed here.

https://twitter.com/MLCleaningUp/status/1321731203867779073

)

Don't get me wrong: eFuels are not all bad!

They are great for aviation and other applications where biofuels are currently the only alternative.

EFuels pose much less competition with nature and food than biofuels as shown in the graph.(transportenvironment.org/press/e-fuels-…)

But for road transportation, clinging to combustion engines means either a lack of vision or a lack of courage.

Many German jobs will be lost if the German manufacturing industry doesn't see the light very quickly and stops waffling.