"The combustion engine has not by any means reached the end of the line"
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C OVER STORY Intervie w
“The combustion engine has not by any means reached the end of the line” In the area of freight transport, substantial emission reductions must be achieved by 2030. Professor Stefan Pischinger, CEO of the FEV Group, explains the means by which these goals can be achieved and how engines for commercial vehicles can develop in the coming years.
MTZ _ By 2020, CO2 emissions from freight transport will have to be reduced by 30 % compared with 2019 levels. How realistic is this goal in the light of the fact that ever larger volumes of goods are being transported?
_ At FEV, we are working on the assumption that CO2 emissions in the transport sector will increase by around 6 % over the next ten years, if we do not take any countermeasures, such as more efficient route planning. However, the targets of a 15 % reduc tion by 2025 and a 30 % reduction PISCHINGER
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by 2030 relate to the average figure for newly registered vehicles. The tar gets are ambitious but achievable, providing that we put in place a whole package of measures. These include improvements to aerodynam ics, increasing the efficiency of the entire powertrain, electrification and using renewable fuels, such as hydro gen. At the same time, the existing fleet can be made carbon-neutral if it operates on e-fuels produced using renewable energy, in other words synthetic fuels.
What level of reduction in emissions do we need to achieve if the transport sector is to continue growing in the same way?
Our estimates show that the increase in the volume of transport during the period after 2030 will be greater than over the next ten years. We expect an overall rise of 35 % by 2050. Obviously we need to take urgent action to reduce the CO2 emissions from vehicles. It is not only the Green Deal that has led to increasing calls for the transport sec tor to become carbon-neutral by 2050. The Paris climate targets also require www.springerprofessional.com/automotive
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Pischinger studied mechanical
the sector to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30 % by 2030. However, the legisla tion that is currently in place will not allow us to achieve the target of cutting CO2 emissions to almost zero by 2050. The regulations focus only on newly registered vehicles and the existing fleet is largely ignored. In addition, there is still an emphasis on the tank-towheel approach, which does not acknowledge the inc reased use of renewable fuels. Another factor is that the average age of trucks in the exist ing European fleet is in some cases over 20 years. This means that in 30 years’ time well over 50 % of the trucks in operation in Europe will still have a combustion engine. We urgently need to ensure that these vehicles become carbon-neutral. If we are to achieve this, then a carbon-neutral liquid fuel is absolutely essential and the legislation needs to be amended accordingly. The shipping industry seems to have pinned its hopes on gas engines running on LNG to reduce emissions. What conditions are needed for this to work? I
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