This Company Teamed Up With Audi To Make Diesel From Water And CO2

When we look to the future of motoring, it’s difficult not to imagine a world populated by nothing but EVs, be they powered by conventional batteries or hydrogen technology. However, there’s always a chance that there’s a third way. One such potential alternative is something Audi is calling ‘e-diesel’, which it has created in partnership with green energy firm Sunfire.

The process begins by harvesting electricity from renewable sources - such as air - which is then used to heat water for high-temperature electrolysis. This separates the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water, to be mixed with carbon dioxide gathered from the ambient air. The hydrogen and CO2 react to form a liquid - dubbed ‘Blue Crude’ which can be refined to make e-diesel.

The first few litres have apparently been rather successfully fuelling the Audi A8 belonging to Germany’s Federal Minister of Education and Research. Sunfire’s small plant in Dresden is capable of producing just 160 litres of e-diesel a day, but there is talk of building a much larger facility. Should that happen and production be ramped up, the companies estimate that e-diesel would cost around the same - or a little more - than the stuff we’re used to getting from the black pump.

Given how much of an enticing prospect all of this is, we’ll be watching the project very closely. What do you think?