BMW Motorrad, engaged in the production of synthetic fuel

Alternative to electric motorcycles

In search of solutions to counteract climate change as quickly and efficiently as possible, BMW Motorrad is fully involved in the production of E-fuel, synthetic and sustainable fuel that can replace gasoline and diesel.

The electrification of transport, specifically motorcycles if we talk about our subject, is probably one of the most important steps to reduce the carbon footprint. However, this is not an easy step, much less fast. For this reason, efforts are also focused on finding a more agile alternative to achieve climate neutrality as quickly as possible. In the race to find this alternative is BMW Motorrad.

During the visit to its headquarters in Munich, where we had the pleasure of attending together with other European media, BMW explained to us the project in which it is immersed and that it is very close to being tangible. The production and distribution of e-Fuels.

Although they emphasize that this does not mean that they downplay or stop the development of their electric models (currently in the catalog with the BMW CE 04 and the BMW CE 02), BMW Motorrad admits that focusing only on one technology is not the fastest way to achieve the goal of counteracting climate change. For this reason, they are working on eFUELS, an important and additional measure to achieve climate neutrality and reach the goal of "zero CO2" as soon as possible.

What are e-Fuels and their benefits

e-fuel BMW Motorrad 6eFuels are synthetic fuels, also known as advanced synthetic fuels or electro fuels that are produced by a process called "Power-to-Liquid" (P2L) or "Power-to-Gas" (P2G). To produce them you first need to generate electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, or nuclear power. This will be what we could call the "raw material" of the e-fuels.

Oxygen (O2) will be extracted from this generated electricity, which will later be combined with carbon dioxide from industrial sources, such as power plants or chemical processes, or even directly from the air using carbon capture technologies. This is done through a chemical reaction known as a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. This reaction produces liquid hydrocarbons, which are e-Fuels.

These e-Fuels will need to undergo some refinement to obtain the specific characteristics of gasoline or diesel. Once done, it can be used in vehicles without requiring significant modifications to existing engines, this is undoubtedly one of the main benefits of e-Fuels.

 

Thinking of electrification as the only technology of the future has its risks, and that is that the entire vehicle fleet must be renewed, as well as the supply of raw materials, creating a new electrical network and charging infrastructure. The case of eFuels is much simpler since the existing infrastructure can be used, and it can be implemented in society much faster.

e-fuel BMW Motorrad 2 Another of the main advantages of e-Fuels is that, when used in vehicles or industrial processes, they release carbon dioxide, but this CO2 is considered neutral in terms of net emissions. In this way, e-fuels can be considered to help reduce the carbon footprint compared to traditional fossil fuels.

Importantly, although e-fuels may be a more sustainable option than fossil fuels, there are still technical and economic challenges to their large-scale production, and this is what BMW Motorrad is working on.

E-Fuel, validated on the BMW R 1250 GS

e-fuel BMW Motorrad 3As we said at the beginning, BMW Motorrad's work with eFuels does not mean that they put aside the electrification of their models, but rather that it is implemented as a complementary technology to decarbonize existing models. Although only small amounts are currently produced in pilot plants, with the right investment it can become a reality in no time, as e-Fuels can be used in all regions of the world, not just in industrialized countries with highly developed electricity grids and infrastructures. developed.

BMW Motorrad has already studied the compatibility of e-Fuels in its existing models, specifically in the BMW R 1250 GS, and both the combustion process and its behavior are similar, as are the materials from which the engine is made. It also does not differ in cold start ability or driving behavior.

Compared to conventional fuel, the tested fuel shows similar emissions behavior to the certification fuel used for the emissions tests, indicating that it may be a viable option from the point of view of allowable emissions.