Honda is studying all fronts in future mobility including synthetic fuels that keep ICE alive

In the push towards electrification, Honda said that combustion engines could still be relevant until 2040 and beyond, reports Automotive News.

Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Honda, said in the report, “As we move toward carbon neutrality, we are focused on electrification and fuel cells - those are the two core components of future mobility.”

However, Mibe mentioned that the charging infrastructure is “not at a place that it needs to be for our customers.”

He added that Honda is conducting feasibility studies on all alternatives of mobility from advanced batteries to aerial vehicles, not forgetting low-carbon e-fuels that could potentially keep combustion engines around for at least another decade or two.

Synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels produced with carbon-neutral processes, are man-made fuels that are produced using electricity to combine hydrogen extracted from water / bio-waste with captured CO2, to create high energy content liquid fuel.

Synthetic fuels have the potential to transform every car on the road carbon neutral overnight, though current production cost is significantly higher than charging an EV. But just like battery technology, companies like Toyota and Porsche are working to reduce the technology's cost.

Also read: Germany and Switzerland now admit Toyota is right - engines not the enemy, carbon is, EV-only solution is too narrow