Automotive technology continues to advance towards increasingly sustainable mobility. Companies are investing their resources in the internal and external design of environmentally friendly vehicles powered by alternative fuels. We can already see electric cars on the market, and companies that are testing their hydrogen and solar designs. However, the company Stellantis has gone a step further. The new design it proposes is an alcohol car. Yes, you have read well. Ethanol “gasoline” engines obtained from natural resources such as corn or sugarcane. No extraction problems, as no infrastructure is needed and storage would not be a problem.
The solution is before our eyes
There is no company in the automotive sector that has closed the door on renewable energy. Electricity and hydrogen took power, although there is still controversy about their commitment to the environment. Are there even cleaner alternatives? It is true that the car industry has an obligation to reduce emissions, but the brands want it all and they want it now. They all pursue the perfect combination of innovation and sustainability, but this is not an easy task.
Stellantis
Known within the automotive world as the result of the merger of several multinational companies in the sector, based in Amsterdam. Owner of brands such as Jeep, Peugeot, Fiat or Dodge among others, Stellantis has carried out a colossal investment of $6 billion, betting everything to ethanol engines. There are many questions that may arise with this decision, and all have their corresponding answers. Why has Stellantis chosen this engines?
- Availability 24/7 of energy sources, but where do they come from? Easy, ethanol is easily extracted from corn and sugar cane. This is why its availability is total and its durability is infinite.
- It does not require any kind of infrastructure or invasive work to access this source of energy. The process by which energy is obtained is essential, since it is useless to have a car with zero emissions if producing its energy is twice as polluting.
- Not only does it have the advantage of the production method, but unlike hydrogen or electric motors, ethanol storage will never be a problem.
Stellantis vs electric and hydrogen engines
According to Stellantis, the advantages of its design are not matched by any other sustainable alternative on the market. On the one hand, electric cars still need to be fine-tuned in several respects. The number of charging points in public places is insufficient to meet a society’s demand for electric cars. Home installations are expensive and the storage of lithium batteries used as an energy source has been considered hazardous storage.
On the other hand, hydrogen, despite presenting fewer points to solve, also has to improve its extraction method, since it is not an emission-free process. This is not to say that electric or hydrogen cars are bad, but to point out what the company argues. One of their executives declared, “We can’t electrify everything, everywhere, at once. Ethanol engines can help fill that vacuum-immediately.”
Which is the future of the company?
Stellantis’ plans are designed to be fulfilled in the long run. They intend that, besides their own brand, others join the ethanol initiative, making them realize that it is the most eco friendly option. However, although this is its main and prior idea, it has not ruled out investing in electric cars. Within its catalog, customers will be able to find cars with different types of fuel, which will increase the range of possibilities, increasing the chances of sale. It will be a matter of time to see who is proclaimed leader in this competition by sera the most sustainable option!
What do Elon Musk and Trump think about hydrogen engines? Find out here!
