In November last year, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentary group of the German Bundestag had addressed a "minor question" to the Federal Government on the role of synthetic fuels for mobility in Germany. The German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) took up the opportunity on 20th February to invite FDP members of the German Bundestag and their assistants to a parliamentary breakfast in Berlin. In September 2018, the Research Association for Internal Combustion Engines (FVV), a member of the AiF, had presented a study on possible options for climate-neutral mobility in 2050: "Defossilizing the transportation sector - Options and requirements for Germany".

Key statements of the study:

1. Technological openness: Taking into account the costs of producing electricity, converting electricity into fuels if necessary, and providing the necessary infrastructure, it does not make much difference whether the propulsion system of a vehicle or equipment are electrified, powered by fuel cells or combustion engines operated with synthetic fuels.
    
2. Synthetic fuels enable CO₂ to be reduced as early as the market launch phase, as they have a positive effect on the CO₂ balance of the existing vehicle fleet when added to conventional petrol or diesel.
    
3. Synthetic fuels are the ideal way of climate-neutral mobility in all applications of internal combustion engines beyond passenger transport. In other words, wherever electrification is difficult or impossible, e.g. ships, aircraft, agricultural equipment and heavy transport.
    
4. A technology-neutral approach to the climate policy challenges of the future should be accompanied by regulatory measures in the field of standardisation and approval of new fuels or when it comes to the CO₂ accounting in the carbon footprint of vehicle fleet.

"The decisive factor for further progress in a future energy mix will be how much technological openness political decisions will allow the industry", summarises Dietmar Goericke, Managing Director of the FVV. "For commercial vehicles, building site traffic or roadworks, agriculture or aviation, completely different solutions are needed than the fully-electrified powertrain."