£1 TO £2/LITRE FOR E FUELS IN 2036
Mike Brewer’s claim of £5.50 per litre in 15 years too expensive, claims synthetic fuel lobby - but retailers say they can’t predict that far ahead
Advocates of synthetically produced petrol (E-fuels) have told Classic Car Weekly that historic vehicle enthusiasts won’t be paying the £5.50 a litre for fuel as predicted by Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer in 15 years’ time ( Classic Car Weekly, 17 November).
Zero Petroleum’s CEO and founder, Paddy Lowe, reiterated claims similar to those made by Porsche earlier in the year – namely that synthetic petrol would be around $2/ litre (approximately £1.50 currently) at the pumps ( CCW, 3 March).
Paddy said: ‘ While even the most confident psychic would not predict crude oil prices and taxation regimes 15 years into the future, what we can say with certainty is that synthetic petroleum manufacturing costs will reduce year-on-year as production scales up and private investment is coupled with government support.
‘It’s easier to forecast the cost of synthetics at wholesale because these costs are based on quantifiable industrial processes. We would agree with Porsche, in that this will lie in the £1 to £2/ litre range (or less) within the next 10-15 years.’
National Transport Trust (NTT) chairman, Stuart Wilkinson, agreed that the remaining liquidfuelled cars on the roads in 2036 – including classic vehicles – would still need fuelling, adding its support for e fuels while also reiterating the importance of hydrogen-converted cars.
He told Classic Car Weekly: ‘Even by 2036 there will still be a huge number of petrol/diesel-powered vehicles in the UK and around the world. At NTT, we will not try to predict what prices will be for the fuel they will need, but the demand will, we are sure, be large enough to attract investment in alternatives to fossil fuels, such as the work Porsche and Zero Petroleum are undertaking.’
The Association of British Drivers, supported by Fair Fuel for UK Motorists and UK Hauliers, APPG, in which e fuels were earmarked for further investment, said that costs for fractionally distilled fossil fuels would continue to increase owing to socially conscious decisions in government favouring alternative sources of energy. Director, Paul Biggs, told CCW: ‘Divestment from fossil fuels means a lack of finance for oil/gas exploration. Supply therefore will struggle to meet demand, which will inevitably lead to continued rising prices for gas, oil, petrol and diesel.’
The Petrol Retailers Association was contacted for a forecast on fuel prices by 2036, including those of e fuels, but told Classic Car Weekly that it was unable to speculate that far ahead. Jon Burgess
❚ zeropetroleum.com
❚ tinyurl.com/3wbxwujz
❚ nationaltransporttrust.org.uk
❚ abd.org.uk