classiccar
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Magazine
Classic meets innovation: eFuels at the Arosa ClassicCar 2025
1 September 2025
The renowned Arosa ClassicCar hill climb, in collaboration with its main sponsor, Porsche Switzerland, and HIF Global, is providing eFuels for the historic cars for the first time – a milestone for the future of classic motorsport in Switzerland.
Contact details
Marion Schmitz
The 21st edition of the Arosa ClassicCar will take place from 4 to 7 September 2025 – and Porsche Switzerland will be there as the main sponsor. The historic hill climb between Langwies and Arosa will serve as a unique platform where automotive tradition meets pioneering fuel technology. For the first time, Arosa ClassicCar, Porsche Switzerland and HIF Global are making eFuels available to participants – synthetic fuels that significantly improve the carbon footprint of internal combustion engines whilst in operation.
The 7.3-kilometre route, featuring 76 bends and a 422-metre climb, provides the perfect setting for this extraordinary fusion of classic and innovation. Whilst 180 historic sports and racing cars battle it out for the fastest times, the organiser, together with Porsche and HIF Global, will impressively demonstrate how automotive passion and modern technology complement one another. On request, participating vehicles can be refuelled with eFuels free of charge on site. The fuel provided is sufficient to complete all races as part of the Arosa ClassicCar event using eFuels exclusively. The organising committee and shuttle vehicles, as well as the race taxis provided by Porsche Switzerland, will also be powered by synthetic fuels during their operations.
Technology of the future
The fuel is sourced from the pioneering Haru Oni eFuels pilot plant in Punta Arenas, in southern Chile, where HIF Global produces it from renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The process first produces eMethanol, which is then synthesised into crude petrol in a subsequent step. The CO₂ currently still comes from a biogenic source; in future, the plan is to capture it directly from the atmosphere using a direct air capture (DAC) process. This means that when the fuel is combusted in the engine, no additional CO₂ from fossil sources is released – only as much as was previously removed from the atmosphere.
Southern Chile offers ideal conditions for the production of eFuels. Over the course of the year, the wind is stronger and more consistent than in most European latitudes, which means that wind turbines can be utilised much more effectively and generate many times more electricity. Renewable energy is available in abundance and at low cost. Furthermore, the existing infrastructure can be used for transport.
eFuels as a complement to electric mobility
For Porsche, eFuels are a key component of its comprehensive mobility strategy. “eFuels offer a useful complement to electric mobility, particularly for our existing fleet,” emphasises Holger Gerrmann, CEO of Porsche Schweiz AG. “At the Arosa ClassicCar, we are impressively demonstrating how the carbon footprint of classic cars can be significantly improved in the future without losing their authentic driving dynamics and distinctive character. The potential is enormous – there are currently more than 1.3 billion internal combustion engine vehicles worldwide that will remain on the roads for decades to come and which, with eFuels, could contribute to decarbonisation.”
Legislative support for eFuels in Switzerland
Thorsten Herdan, CEO of HIF EMEA, emphasises: “We have been operating the world’s first pilot plant for eFuels for over two years. With this partnership, we are once again underlining the importance of eFuels and their contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in the transport sector. Together with Arosa ClassicCar and Porsche Switzerland, we are proud to be shaping the future of sustainable mobility. The recently passed Swiss law, under which synthetic fuels can be counted towards CO₂ fleet targets for road vehicles, reinforces this vision and sets an example for the rest of Europe.”
A pioneering role in historic motorsport
“As organisers of a classic car hill climb, we have a responsibility – to tradition, to the drivers, and to the future of our sport,” explains Markus Markwalder, President of the Arosa ClassicCar Organising Committee. “With eFuels, we are demonstrating that a passion for motorsport and innovation are not mutually exclusive. The fact that the official vehicles run on eFuels is a visible contribution to the Arosa 2030 destination strategy. Interested participants can also refuel their historic racing cars with the innovative eFuels and thus actively contribute to the future of classic motorsport.
You can find this press release and the link to the image database online at https://www.arosaclassiccar.ch/en/media
