Emissions are to fall to 95 million metric tons per year by 2030, according to the federal Climate Protection Act. But vehicles with conventional drive technologies, i.e., gasoline or diesel engines, are widely used in the transport sector. However, many greenhouse gases are emitted during their operation – and this harms the climate.
Vehicle manufacturers are now developing and building more vehicles with new drive technologies. Demand, which is reflected in the number of new registrations, is also increasing.
Two approaches are being taken for decarbonization:
- Electrification: Electromobility involves cars, scooters, and other vehicles running on electricity or hydrogen instead of gasoline and diesel. The more electricity is generated from renewable energy sources, the more fossil fuels are displaced, and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
- Because electrification is not possible everywhere, the substitution of fossil fuels with human-made (“synthetic”) fuels also plays an important role, especially in aviation and shipping. In the so-called power-to-X process, synthetic fuels are produced from (surplus) electricity from renewable energies.
