Currently reading: E-fuel debate is 'unnecessary noise', says Volkswagen boss

Brand head Thomas Schäfer argues synthetic fuels are better suited to trucks and planes than cars

Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer has described the tussle within European Union member states to revise the 2035 ICE ban to include an exception for e-fuels as “unnecessary noise” in the shift to electrification.

“This discussion is distracting from the point,” Schäfer told journalists at the unveiling of the Volkswagen ID 2all EV concept on Wednesday last week. 

“It’s unnecessary noise from my point of view. By 2035 it’s over anyway, and we said by 2033 we’re done,” he said of Volkswagen's plan to stop selling ICE cars in Europe. “So why spend a fortune on old technology that doesn’t give you any benefit?”

The Volkswagen Group has invested in e-fuels, which synthesise petrol from waste carbon, via its Porsche brand, and CEO Oliver Blume has been one of e-fuels' biggest advocates to help with vehicle decarbonisation.

Register for free to access this article
  • Instant access to all Autocar Business news
  • Regular email newsletters
See all benefits here