As car manufacturers weigh-up a future without combustion engines, some are trying to change the conversation from electric vehicles, to emission free traditional engines.

Both Mazda and Porsche have said this week that they are exploring fuel technology which will allow current engines to run emission-free and without pumping harmful CO2 into the atmosphere.

And with the government aiming for a carbon neutral future, they believe that they are on the right track by banning combustion engines by 2030 - but now one of the UK’s biggest luxury brands, Bentley, have said that a rethink on synthetic fuels is needed.

“We're looking more at sustainable fuels, either synthetic or bio-gen,” Bentley engineering boss Matthias Rabe said in Autocar this week. “We think the combustion engine will be around for a long time yet, and if that's the case, then we think there can be a significant environmental advantage from synthetic fuels. We will have more to say on this in time, but we're positive about this technology.

"We absolutely believe in e-fuels as a further step beside electromobility. We will probably tell you more details on this. Right now the costs are high and we will have to install some processes, but in the long-term, why not?"

Motor manufacturers face a race against time in order to convince legislators that so called efuels are a viable alternative, but with billions of pounds invested in combustion engine technology it is an investment worth making.

Rabe said: “As EV uptake rises, to further reduce the impact of cars that need liquid fuels, it can be a parallel exercise, and we can be involved in that journey too. It won't replace battery electric vehicles, but it can extend the life of combustion-engined cars in a more sustainable way.”

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