2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS previews synthetic fuel

The 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS has demonstrated the potential of synthetic fuels at an ice race in Austria.

Porsche showed off the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS and the Clubsport at the GP Ice Race in Zell am See, both of which were powered using synthetic fuel.

Made from waste food products, the biofuel is being developed in an attempt to help ensure the longevity of the internal-combustion engine – and potentially providing a more environmentally-friendly solution for areas of the world which do not have reliable electricity infrastructure.

“We urgently need a solution for the sustainable operation of existing fleets,” rally legend Walter Röhrl said at the event.

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

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Created at the Haru Oni plant in southern Chile using wind power, the synthetic fuel is made by first producing hydrogen, then mixing it with CO2 taken from the atmosphere to create e-methanol, which is then synthesised into raw gasoline, and eventually processed into petrol at a grade suitable for modern engines.

Haru Oni expected to produce 130,000 litres of eFuel from this year, with Porsche in line to purchase the whole amount.

“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,” added Röhrl.