Electrofuels (e-fuels) have been proposed within the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions policy framework of the European Union as an option to enable the continued registration of new internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) beyond 2035. However, they remain an emerging technology, and comprehensive assessments for light-duty passenger cars jointly addressing fuel properties and environmental performance remain limited. This study examines e-diesel, e-petrol, and e-OME 3-5 , providing an overview of production pathways, properties, and expected compatibility with the existing ICEV fleet, alongside a systematic review of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. Impact categories beyond climate change are often overlooked, being evaluated only in 7 of the 19 selected studies. Climate change mitigation potential varies widely, with well-to-wheel emissions ranging from 4 to 564 g CO2,eq /km for e-diesel, 8–531 g CO2,eq /km for e-petrol, and 10–759 g CO2,eq /km for e-OME 3-5 . This dispersion reflects differences in technological and methodological assumptions; however, carbon intensity of electrical energy consistently emerges as dominant driver. Climate benefits over fossil fuels occur only under low-carbon electricity scenarios, with a break-even value of approximately 123 g CO2,eq /kWh, a condition rarely met by grid mix-based configurations. Greater primary data availability and harmonised LCA frameworks would improve the reliability of environmental performance estimates and cross-study comparability.
Barbato et al. (Wed,) studied this question.