▲Professor Min Kyung-deok of Seoul National University

Development of High-Efficiency Hybrid Engines and the Need for Near Zero Impact Exhaust Gas Reduction Technology Emerge
“Banning Internal Combustion Engines is a Short-sighted Policy… Internal Combustion Engine Fuels Must Be Converted to Hydrogen and E-Fuel”

Contrary to the general belief that electric vehicles will be the only form of future mobility, experts have announced that internal combustion engines, including E-fuels, will also become a pillar of the future automobile industry by drastically reducing CO2 emissions.

At the 9th Jasan Eobo event held by the Korea Automobile Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as Hanjayeon) at the COEX Startup Branch in Seoul on the 16th of last month, the industry trends and outlook for 'alternative fuels', which are gaining attention as an alternative for carbon neutrality, as well as regulatory innovation plans and development strategies, were discussed in detail.

Professor Min Kyung-deok of Seoul National University gave a presentation on the 'Direction of Power Sources for Carbon Neutrality' and said that the speed of transition to electric vehicles is showing signs of being regulated, and internal combustion engines including hybrids are likely to exist until 2040, so the need for development of high-efficiency hybrid engines and Near Zero Impact exhaust gas reduction technology is receiving attention.

In many regions, including the UK, EU and US, the lifespan of internal combustion engine vehicles is being extended due to political as well as environmental concerns.

Britain bans sales of internal combustion engines by 2030The EU has delayed the deadline for the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles based on E-fuels from 2035, and German OEMs are continuing to demand an extension of the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles.

Meanwhile, the United States is grappling with rising unemployment due to the shift to electric vehicles, and this is expected to be a topic of much debate in the next election.

The reason political issues are mentioned is because global transport CO2 reduction targets are quite challenging.

When reflecting the current regulations of each country's government under the Started Policies Scenario (STEPS), CO2 emissions in 2050 are expected to be around 30 Gt, and even when reflecting future regulations of governments, they are expected to exceed 10 Gt, making the global movement to achieve net-zero by 2050 virtually impossible.

Professor Min Kyung-deok emphasized, “The ban on internal combustion engines is a short-sighted policy, and from a long-term perspective, it is inevitable to switch the fuel used in internal combustion engines from fossil fuels to hydrogen and E-fuels.” He added, “In order to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions, the development of highly efficient propulsion systems in the transportation sector and the shift toward utilizing green energy such as E-fuels and hydrogen electricity are essential steps.”

Next, Jae-Woo Jeong, Head of Alternative Fuel Power Technology Division at Hanjayun, who took the podium as a presenter, said, “Due to the uncertainty of the carbon neutral path based on electric vehicles and the need to diversify power sources for energy security, we need to promote the transition to electric power, CCUS, and hydrogen-based energy industries (E-fuel, hydrogen fuel).”

He continued, “In particular, our country’s Hydrogen Economy Committee decided to intensively foster hydrogen engines by classifying them as a strategic field at the end of last year.” “Based on these policies, He emphasized that “the expression ‘ban on sales’ of internal combustion engines is incorrect.”

According to the announcement by Vice Minister Jeong, it is expected that 4 million HEVs will be distributed in Korea by 2030, and the global HEV and internal combustion engine vehicle market share will reach 70%.

However, the price issue needs to be resolved as E-fuel is expected to be about four times the price of gasoline even in 2030.

To overcome these challenges, Vice President Jeong emphasized that OEMs must reduce fuel consumption to achieve economic efficiency and continuously improve fuel efficiency to achieve WtW CO2 (CO2 generated when the engine or motor starts operating from fuel injection or charging) Zero or LCA CO2 Net Zero.

He said that we should keep an eye on Japan's 'Green Innovation Fund Project'.

The project aims to reduce hybrid CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030, primarily by combining alternative fuel and engine technologies to significantly improve efficiency with lower exhaust emissions.

The implications of this are significant.

This is because internal combustion engine vehicles are showing a development direction that will move away from the perception that they emit a lot of carbon and put them on an equal footing with electric vehicles.

Research and development to improve engine efficiency by more than 45% is also actively underway in Europe and China.

This trend suggests a great possibility that in the future, we will see not only electric vehicles but also internal combustion engine vehicles with alternative fuels and advanced engines on the road.

In order to realize the future as mentioned above, the government needs to conduct research on Zero Impact Emissions standards, develop standards, apply policies, and develop technologies to achieve them.The sentence is emphasized.

Zero Impact Emission is a level of emissions that is harmless to the atmosphere and human health, which is within 3% of the annual average pollutant concentration limit in Europe derived by WHO, which is 1.2 μg/m2 for NO2.

Deputy Director Jeong said that since the current situation requires additional discussion on justice, policy standards and application of various implementation technologies should also be supported.

The Korea Automobile Research Institute said, “As various climate crises occur, eco-friendly technology development for carbon neutrality is actively underway around the world, and alternative fuels are receiving attention as an alternative with limitless possibilities.” It added, “We will work together to ensure that the exchanges and cooperation among industry members at this event can lead to innovative development in the alternative fuel industry.”