Hydrogen and Synthetic Fuels Could Revive Opportunities for Classic Cars

A push to decarbonization of the mobility sector is causing concerns over the future of classic/vintage cars. These cars were produced more than 20 years ago and their production at present is limited. With the growing requirement of decarbonization, cars such as the Maserati 3200GT (1998-2002) and Porsche Boxster (1996-2004) will be required to transition from their dependence on fossil fuels to bioethanol in the short term (2022-2025) and to be fully dependent on low carbon fuels in the long term. 

The Challenges with Decarbonization of Classic Cars

Although classic cars can run on smaller concentrations of bioethanol without significant problems, doubling the amount can cause a variety of issues. As bioethanol is hydroscopic, it absorbs water, which can lead to condensation in fuel tanks, fuel lines, and carburetors thereby causing corrosion in brass, copper, lead, and tin components. Additionally, ethanol is a solvent that can dissolve rubber, plastic, and fiberglass and thus further compromise the structural integrity of a car.

Electrification of Classic Cars

An option to decarbonize classic cars is to replace their internal combustion engines (ICEs) with an electric powertrain. Advantages of upcycling existing vehicles is that it mitigates the need for manufacturing of new EVs and moreover is an efficient use of resources. The restoration of vehicles is a growing industry and has attracted investments from notable backers such as David Beckham.

Nonetheless, the conversion of classic cars to EVs is met with reservations. The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs is of the opinion that classic/vintage cars should not be upheld to the performance and environmental standards that present day cars are gauged by. Another popular opinion is from a more sentimental perspective that states conversion to EVs destroys the soul of a car.

Conversion of ICEs to Run on Hydrogen and Synthetic Fuels

For those that are not ready to convert their classic cars to electric powertrains, hydrogen or synthetic fuels could be viable options. Porsche is emerging as a strong proponent of synthetic fuels for classic cars. Even though the company is committed to an electric propulsion future, an estimated 70% of its legacy cars that could benefit from synthetic fuels are still on the road. To produce synthetic fuels, Porsche is collaborating with Siemens Energy to build the world’s first green hydrogen-to-synthetic fuel plant in Chile. Other companies that are actively adopting synthetic fuels for preserving their classic cars include McLaren Automotive and Aston Martin. 

Nonetheless, it must be acknowledged that synthetic fuels have certain limitations that need to be addressed. First, the production of carbon-neutral synthetic fuels are expensive due to the high cost of green hydrogen. More importantly, the conversion of renewable power to motive force via synthetic fuels incurs significant efficiency losses. Overcoming these barriers will require coordinated efforts across automotive companies, electrolyzer vendors, technology providers, and governments.