Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 92

They could change the world : synthetic
fuels. After all, the key ingredients need-
ed to produce them – sun, wind, water
and CO – are available in abundance. So
how does this work ? A visit to the scien-
tists and inventors behind Audi e-fuels –
the creative minds of the start-ups that,
by joining forces with Audi, want to bring
the energy revolution into the car.
Today I am meeting a man at Audi who
has sustainability in his job title : Reiner
Mangold – Head of Sustainable Product
Development. But what does that mean in
practical terms for a car guy ? “In our case,
it’s about ideas that have a long-term,
all-encompassing character and help
actively toward climate protection.”
Mangold is in search of ways to complement
electric mobility. “We need bold solutions
that look at more than just the local CO
emissions per kilometer driven and that
will address emissions over the entire life
of a vehicle.” He wants to see the Audi fl eet
running on an alternative to fossil fuels
one day. These are called Audi e-fuels :
Audi e-gas, “e-benzin” and e-diesel. They
are all renewable, synthetic fuels and
therefore entirely independent of mineral
oil. These e-fuels capture as much CO
during their production as they release
again when burned. They can be used
in all conventional combustion engines,
and no separate, dedicated infrastruc-
ture is needed. “With Audi e-fuels we
create a win-win situation,” remarks
Mangold. High time for me to discover
the creative minds behind Audi e-fuels.
FUEL FOR THOUGHT.
PHOTOS : Getty Images, AUDI AG
TEXT : Stephanie Huber