Mazda has a creative idea for algae-based biofuel and an exhaust system that, theoretically, could turn gas-burning cars carbon negative. As in, not just running with reduced emissions, but actually capturing more carbon than the process creates. The special exhaust is kind of like a diaper, sopping up CO2 as it farts its way out of the engine, washing out the CO2 emitted in the making of biofuel. At least, in theory.
The likelihood of this going into production is, uh, not high. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting thought exercise. First of all, you have to imagine a situation in which we can make fuel for cars with microalgae. Now, let’s say Mazda has a hybrid-electric car running on this fuel. Now, the CO2-collecting exhaust system comes into play.
As Carbon Capture Journal explained, more eloquently than I:
“[The] process of producing biofuel requires energy, and CO2 may be emitted to generate this energy. The amount of CO2 emitted for energy generation is estimated to be around 10% that emitted during fuel combustion. Accordingly, biofuels contribute to a 90% reduction in total CO2 emissions when compared to fossil fuels.
Moreover, the CO2 emitted during the production of biofuels can be offset by capturing the CO2 released through the combustion of this fuel … If more than 10% of the CO2 emitted during the combustion of biofuels could be captured, it would offset the CO2 emitted during the production process and mean that, in theory, vehicles using biofuel could contribute to greater reductions in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere the more they drive, becoming effectively carbon negative.”
So basically, if a car could run on biofuel and then capture the carbon emissions from burning said fuel (with this CO2 tank-diaper thing), it could more than balance out the emissions required to make the fuel.
That sounds like it’d involve a lot of infrastructure to make viable, but you’ve got to admit it’s a creative line of thinking.
If biofuel production could in fact be figured out, there would still be some practical challenges of putting these CO2-capturing exhausts into cars—namely, the weight and space they’d take up.
But maybe there’s a version of this idea that still makes sense without the fuel-refining aspect. Going carbon-negative would be tough, but perhaps a carbon-capture system could be run on a regular gas-burning car just to get its poison emissions down to near-zero at the tailpipe.
Mazda has not made any promises about developing this, but Masahiro Moro, Representative Director, President and CEO of Mazda, did have some commentary on sustainability in general that went out in a press release from the Tokyo Auto Show:
“The phrase, ‘The joy of driving fuels a sustainable tomorrow,’ expresses not only Mazda’s fundamental spirit, but also the core of its future challenges. Under the shared global mission of achieving carbon neutrality, Mazda believes that the joy of driving can be a force for positive change for society and the planet. We remain committed to fulfilling the desire of those who love cars and wish to continue driving as long as possible.”
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Automotive journalist since 2013, Andrew primarily coordinates features, sponsored content, and multi-departmental initiatives at The Drive.
