Solar gasoline from Spain
The Amag Group is focusing on sustainable mobility: from 2027, the company will be purchasing 50,000 liters of solar petrol every year. The technology behind this has been developed by a Swiss start-up. At the same time, Amag is strengthening its position in electromobility.
The Amag Group has signed a long-term contract with the start-up Synhelion, which emerged from the ETH in 2016, for the purchase of solar petrol. This is a climate-friendly substitute for petrol. The synthetic fuel is produced from sunlight, CO2 and water. From 2027, Amag intends to purchase 50,000 liters of solar petrol from Synhelion every year. The company is thus pursuing the goal of reducing the CO2 emissions of its existing fleet. This is because solar petrol can be used with conventional engines.
The solar gasoline is produced at the "Rise" production plant in Spain, Synhelion's first commercial solar fuel plant, which will be built from this year - production of solar fuel is scheduled to start in 2027. Despite the combustion process, Synhelion's fuel is climate-friendly, as only as much CO2 as was previously separated from the air for production.
Amag stands for openness to technologyalthough it is fundamentally committed to the electrification of mobility and is actively promoting the transition to zero-emission vehicles. The existing vehicle fleet poses a major challenge when it comes to reducing CO2 emissions, and synthetic fuels such as Synhelion's solar gasoline could make a decisive contribution.
Helmut Ruhl, CEO of the Amag Group, explains: " Our goal is to reduce CO2 emissions in all areas of our company. The partnership with Synhelion enables us to implement sustainable solutions for the existing Swiss vehicle fleet - and thus also for classic cars "
The cleantech company Synhelion opened the industrial demonstration plant "Dawn" in Jülich (Germany) in June 2024, which produces various fuels from solar energy. From 2027, "Rise" in Spain will supply around 1000 tons of renewable kerosene, diesel and petrol per year. Philipp Furler, co-CEO and co-founder of Synhelion, says: " The collaboration with the Amag Group shows that our technology can make a significant contribution to defossilization not only in aviation and shipping, but also in the automotive sector."
In addition to investing in solar fuels the Amag Group is also driving forward electromobility. Last year, it was able to confirm its leading position in this area with 12,348 all-electric vehicles sold. It was also successful in other areas: With consolidated sales of CHF 4.9 billion in 2024, it was able to achieve a market share of 30.4 percent with its Audi, Cupra, Seat, Skoda, VW and VW Commercial Vehicles brands in a declining overall market.
To facilitate the charging of electric vehicles Amag has been offering a new charging solution since the beginning of 2025: Vehicles can be charged at over 13,000 charging stations in Switzerland and 600,000 stations throughout Europe - for example with the Amag app or charging card - for 28 centimes per kilowatt hour. According to Amag, this tariff is in many cases cheaper than charging at home and is particularly aimed at companies and people who have to travel longer distances.
The company, which belongs to the Amag Group Company Clyde is promoting electromobility with a special offer: Since the beginning of 2024, interested parties have been able to test an electric car for three months on a subscription basis. Helmut Ruhl says: "With Clyde's longest test drive in Switzerland, we are offering a risk-free introduction to electromobility. If you don't like it, we will refund 50 percent of the subscription fee, even if you subsequently buy or lease a combustion car."
Meanwhile, Europcar, also part of the Amag Group, is continuing to expand its electric fleet. New models such as the Audi A6 and Q6 E-Tron, VW ID.7 and ID.Buzz, Cupra Tavascan and Skoda Elroq complete the range.
Speaking of electricity: Helion Energy AG, a subsidiary of the Amag Group, was able to install photovoltaic systems with a total output of around 80 gigawatt hours last year; according to Amag, this is almost three times as much as the electric cars it sold last year. With its "solar tariff/PPA" offer, Helion also enables private households to sell surplus solar power - the company received the Aeesuisse Award for this concept.
With these developments, Amag is positioning itself as a pioneer in the creation of innovative and sustainable mobility solutions - from synthetic fuels to electromobility and renewable energies. In doing so, it is making an important contribution to the mobility of tomorrow.
