Stellantis estimates that thermal engines will last until 2050

Even if the Stellantis group plans a massive electrification of its ranges, the thermal cars sold today and until 2035 in Europe will continue to circulate for many years to come.

As manufacturers move towards an all-electric future, Christian Müller, powertrain and chassis manager for Stellantis, points out in the columns of Reuters what many thermal vehicles will probably continue to drive long after the “electric revolution”.

This observation comes as Stellantis announces a collaboration with the energy company Aramco regarding the development and use of synthetic fuels. Stellantis recently began testing the compatibility of certain e-fuels with some of its engines sold in Europe with rather convincing results. We already talked about it on Auto Plus a few days ago.

Stellantis does not intend to “abandon” its thermal model customers

R&D around synthetic fuels does not mean that the company is abandoning its Dare Forward 2030 plan. The objective is to have of an entirely electric range in Europe by 2030but customers will surely not abandon their thermal models in the blink of an eye.

“I think that 25% of our vehicles will still be used after 20 years”declared Christian Müller. “Therefore, research into synthetic fuels is entirely legitimate.”

Synthetic fuels, more than just an alternative?

The potential use of synthetic fuels for the thermal vehicles of tomorrow is of interest to more and more manufacturers. Porsche announced a significant investment in a biofuel company in April 2022and Bentley announced that its future thermal models would be compatible with these famous e-fuels.

The potential advantages of synthetic fuels have even led the European Union to begin thinking about this energy with a view to banning the sale of cars equipped with a thermal engine on the Old Continent after 2035.

Stellantis estimates that its engine types identified as compatible with synthetic fuels represent around 28 million vehicles on Europe’s roads, with a potential reduction in CO emissions.₂ in the region which could reach 400 million tonnes between 2025 and 2050.

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