By Suncoast Region Member, Pedro
P. Bonilla
Synthetic
From Merriam-Webster’s adjective syn•thet•ic | \ sin-the-tik : devised, arranged, or fabricated for special situations to imitate or replace usual realities noun : something resulting from synthesis rather than occurring naturally especially: a product (such as a fuel) of chemical synthesis
We have used for many years a great deal of synthetic products in our Porsches, from the plastic and composite parts in most areas of the vehicle, to the adhesives that keep them together, to the Mobil1 synthetic motor oil that comes from the factory to lubricate and cool our engines. But, we may be using a brand new synthetic product soon: Synthetic Fuel. Well, brand new may not be very precise. Audi, Bosch and McLaren, among others, have been talking about working on the technology for years. But further back, to be precise in the late 1930s, Nazi Germany had already developed and perfected the hydrogenation process to supply the Nazi War Machine its fuel needs by way of synthetic fuels made from its vast domestic supplies of coal. What may be surprising is that technology is still in use today, in particular in South Africa. After apartheid was instituted, many oil-producing nations refused to sell oil to the apartheid regime and a local company (Sasol) was created to produce synthetic gas and oils for their domestic use. The plant is still productive, and since its inception, Sasol has produced over 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline, which is basically no different than the gasoline produced from Texas crude oil. In the last year, Porsche has been talking up a storm regarding synthetic fuels. Even though, as a company, Porsche is committed to going full electric across its platforms in a few short years, they also understand that older Porsches will be around for many years to come and their owners want to keep enjoying them as they have in the past. Porsche wants therefore to significantly and independently drive forward the development of synthetic fuels, also known as eFuels. VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
SEPTEMBER 2021 Page 46
