Major luxury car manufacturer Porsche has announced its intention to switch to sustainable fuels for an upcoming competition as brands look to slash their emissions.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will run exclusively on "eFuels" that are potentially near-carbon-neutral in a major shift for the company.
The move will see Porsche "guide the way" to a motorsport that gets as close to being carbon neutral as possible and become a pioneer in the sector.
The new raw fuel comes from the Haru Oni pilot plant in Chile and is manufactured for racing through a blending process.
eFuels will be used in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
PORSCHE
In the previous three years, synthetic fuel has been used in vehicles to tackle emissions in the motorsport industry.
Michael Steiner, board member for research and development at Porsche AG, said: “The Supercup is also a beacon for us when it comes to eFuels.
"Motorsport has always been a driver of innovation – now also in terms of fuel.
"Through this project, we are taking further steps towards achieving our decarbonisation goals."
The eFuels are generated from renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide using sustainable energy from wind power in Chile.
Porsche has already invested over $100million (£79.8million) in the development and production of eFuels, with plans to build and operate plants in Chile, Uruguay, the United States and Australia.
Steiner continued, saying: “If you look at the entire value chain, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup racing cars can race with eFuels in a potentially almost CO2-neutral way.
"Here, the new fuel is used under the toughest conditions. To slow global warming, it is essential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions – this also applies to motorsport.”
This comes as the historic Goodwood Revival festival plans to exclusively use sustainable fuels at the upcoming event this year, with backing from a number of major figures in the motorsport industry.
After the success of using sustainable fuels at the Fordwater Trophy in its 2023 edition, Goodwood announced its intention to cut emissions from the entire competition this year.
As part of the new rules, competitors will be required to use a fuel which has a minimum of 70 per cent advanced sustainable components, in line with the FIA's current requirements.
The measures have been supported by organisers of Goodwood and major motorsport figures, including Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Porsche has invested $100million in sustainable fuels
PORSCHE
Button, who won the 2009 Formula 1 Championship, said: What’s so exciting about these fuels is that they can guarantee the future of historic racing, enabling us to enjoy combustion engine cars for years to come.”
Similarly, Rowan Atkinson, who is an avid supporter of Goodwood, added: “I used synthetic fuel in my racing Jaguar at Goodwood this year and found it to be not just as good as the pump petrol used previously but in performance terms, superior to it in every way."
