Finnish car leasing company sets an example

With this cooperation, two companies want to set an example for the climate. P1 Fuels, a supplier of fossil-free fuels based in Berlin, and Secto Automotive, the largest private car leasing company and the third largest car fleet operator in Finland, want to offer completely fossil-free fuels for passenger cars in Finland from 2024. With regard to the production volume and the number of filling stations, options for cooperation with a nationwide distribution partner are now being examined, according to a press release issued today.

P1 Fuels has experience in the development, production and use of fossil-free synthetic fuels. The Berlin-based green tech company is the exclusive partner of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). All vehicle categories in the WRC are powered by its fossil-free fuels. Martin Popilka, CEO of P1 Fuels, says that the company now also wants to offer Finnish drivers the opportunity to fill up with a more climate-friendly alternative to fossil gasoline. His company is also working with car manufacturers for the initial filling of new vehicles. Production capacities are also to be expanded for this purpose. P1 Fuels plans to produce up to 20 million liters by 2024.

Matias Henkola, CEO of Secto Automotive, is convinced that the market is ready for P1 Fuels' synthetic fuel. "The primary customer base will be drivers of plug-in hybrid vehicles who want to refuel their car about four times a year and further reduce their vehicle's emissions," says Henkola. In his opinion, classic car enthusiasts and consumers who want to drive their conventional car for as long as possible while doing something for climate protection are also potential users of the synthetic petrol, which is certified for all cars with petrol engines.

In the initial phase, both companies assume that the price at the pump will be no more than twice as high as that of conventional fossil gasoline. With increasing production and ever stricter CO2 pricing worldwide, prices will converge in the medium term. At the same time, synthetic fuels are often still taxed in the same way as the climate-damaging fossil variant. In Germany, the tax accounts for around half of the price at the pumps. "Legislators will have to take action here to provide price incentives for an immediate increase in climate protection on our roads," demands Popilka.

Opportunity for fleet operators too

Secto Automotive has already been decarbonizing its fleet for thirteen years through the use of electric and plug-in vehicles. Henkola demands: "We should use all available technologies that reduce the consumption of fossil fuels." Secto Automotive plans to switch up to 3,900 vehicles to fossil-free fuels from 2024.

According to recent surveys for the DAT Barometer, fleet operators in Germany also consider e-fuels to be a suitable way to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their fleets. This was the view of 66 percent of the 146 fleet managers surveyed from industry, trade, commerce and the public sector. 81 percent of them stated that not all routes could currently be covered with purely battery-electric cars. 32 percent also stated that company car owners want to return to a classic combustion engine.

In a Geotab survey in collaboration with Dataforce, only a quarter of the 212 fleet managers surveyed believe that electric cars will dominate the company fleet in the medium term. Only 25 percent of German fleet managers do not believe that e-models will dominate their fleets by 2028. More than a third (35%) of managers have no plans for fleet electrification by 2028.

The professional market is therefore ready for alternatives such as e-fuels like those from P1, which are certified, offer the same performance as fossil gasoline and work in all gasoline engines. The green tech company's Advanced Synthetic Fuel achieves a CO2 reduction of 77.4 percent compared to conventional gasoline (well-to-wheel).

The fossil-free fuel P1 Super Eco100 Pro currently complies with the EN 228 standard and is therefore approved for road use in the European Union and the United Kingdom. It also complies with the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) and is certified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Variants of the fuel are also approved for the US market. (aum)