Fueling the future – today!

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My heart belongs to the automobile – with every drive train that is technically possible! This of course includes the combustion engine, which has proven itself over more than a century and has undergone continuous development. In addition to electromobility, I believe it will continue to play a decisive role for longer than the current criticism from its opponents would suggest.

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Since the end of the 1990s, I have been working at the Daimler (Chrysler) AG headquarters in the export business for the Near/Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa, and subsequently until 2020 at Mercedes-Benz dealerships in North Rhine-Westphalia, focusing on classic car sales and the development of ClassicPartner structures. 

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I cannot deny the star in my heart: I am still attached to the Mercedes-Benz brand today, which is why I publish articles on current topics on the independent platform Mercedes-Fans.de when the opportunity arises and work as a presenter at Europe's largest Mercedes-Benz meeting – the “Schöne Sterne” (Beautiful Stars). In addition, I am involved as an honorary advisor for alternative fuels and sustainability at DEUVET e.V., the umbrella organization of German classic car clubs.

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In Germany in particular, the automobile fulfills more tasks than just transporting people from A to B. It is an economic engine, a commitment to a free and self-determined lifestyle, and is probably the most emotional of all technical achievements.

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In addition to my love of cars, my ecological conscience motivates me to do my part to decarbonize traffic and transportation, thereby making them more sustainable from an ecological perspective. This will not be possible in the future without advanced fuels, known as XtL fuels. This approach is not only sustainable, but also fast, cost-effective, and, above all, globally applicable to the existing fleet of 1.5 billion vehicles worldwide, even in structurally weak, rural regions.

In my main job as Business Development Manager, I work on converting diesel fleets to HVO100, a paraffinic diesel fuel with up to 90% CO2 reduction potential. Every day, I meet people who are not doing this because they are emotionally attached to diesel engines, but because they have to strike a balance between GHG reduction and technical and economic viability.

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Get the job done!

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2. Do good, 1. talk about it! This is an important aspect because, despite all the advantages of advanced, climate-friendly fuels, they are often unfairly and ignorantly criticized by outsiders. In order to deal with this criticism confidently, find the right arguments, and communicate convincingly and self-assuredly, it is important to know the subject matter well and be able to defend it in dialogue when “mono-pathway” instead of “multi-pathway” is presented as the only viable solution in the form of 100% electrification in public.

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Regardless of whether you have converted your fleet or are planning to do so, deliver vehicles with alternative fuels as first-fill to your customers, or want to commit to the continued use of combustion engines—the “how and what” will determine acceptance among your target group if advanced fuels are to power your business from now on!
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There is much to do—let's fuel it up!
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Yours, Christian Nikolai