Racing under the team name “NetZero Bulli”, CAC and PARAFUEL will line up at the 22nd Sachsen Classic (August 14–16, 2025) with a true icon: a lovingly restored 1953 VW T1 Bulli. Starting with number 16, the classic has been given a modern twist – upgraded with innovative technology and powered in a climate-friendly way by both electricity and synthetic gasoline.
Premiere with a Climate-Friendly Hybrid Classic Car at the 22nd Sachsen Classic 2025
Premiere with a Climate-Friendly Hybrid Classic Car at the 22nd Sachsen Classic 2025
Chemnitz/Dresden, August 11, 2025 – When automotive history meets pioneering technology, something truly unique emerges: Under the team name “NetZero Bulli”, the Chemnitz-based company CAC Engineering and the Paraguayan company PARAFUEL, founded by a German investor group, will jointly take part in the 22nd Sachsen Classic from August 14 to 16, 2025. The team will compete with a lovingly restored 1953 VW T1 Bulli, starting with number 16 – technically upgraded and powered in a climate-friendly way with both electricity and synthetic gasoline.
The original rear powertrain with a 1.1-liter boxer engine has been supplemented with an innovative electric drive on the front axle. This makes the T1 bus the world’s first classic car to master the best of both drive worlds – a historic combustion engine fueled with climate-friendly synthetic gasoline from CAC, and a modern electric motor for efficient, sustainable mobility.
“For me, the Bulli is not just a classic car – it is an emotional piece of automotive history. Bringing it back on the road today with state-of-the-art, climate-friendly technology is a passion project,” says Volker Hartmann, driver and owner of the VW bus. “The challenge of this project was to create a fully reversible additional functionality, while keeping both the bodywork and the old technology untouched and fully operational. In doing so, we have created and made accessible a real added value for everyone!”
“This drive is more than just a rally for me – it is a moving showcase of Saxon engineering, living tradition, and market-ready future technologies,” says Stefan Lorenz, co-driver and Head of Sales at CAC ENGINEERING. “We are sending a clear signal: To decarbonize the transport sector, we need not only battery-electric drives but also climate-neutral synthetic fuels. Otherwise, how could we possibly defossilize the existing fleet of 1.2 billion combustion engine vehicles worldwide?”
“With projects like the NetZero Bulli, we demonstrate that the transformation of the transport sector will not be achieved through an ‘either electric motor or e-fuel’ discussion, but rather with a ‘both/and’ approach – starting now,” emphasizes Thomas Seiler, co-founder of PARAFUEL. “Green methanol and synthetic fuels are already market-ready today and can make a tangible contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions.”
CAC contributes the engineering know-how and the technology to produce synthetic gasoline. PARAFUEL, as an internationally operating energy company, is responsible for large-scale production and marketing. With its production site in Paraguay, the company has optimal conditions for generating green energy for the global market.
Both companies view synthetic fuels as an indispensable key technology for applications that rely on the high energy density of liquid fuels and on fast, uncomplicated refueling. They also provide a vital alternative in scenarios where economic or logistical conditions make other drive or mobility concepts impractical.
The Sachsen Classic will take participants over three days and around 600 kilometers through some of the most beautiful landscapes of Saxony, Brandenburg, and the Ore Mountains. The route includes stops in Dresden, Meissen, Lausitzring, and on August 16, 2025, in the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz, before finishing at the Dresden Elbe riverbank.
Background on Synthetic Gasoline
E-fuels are fuels not derived from petroleum but produced using electricity from renewable energy, water, and carbon dioxide (CO₂). CAC’s MethaFuel® technology ensures a gasoline that meets the requirements of the DIN EN 228 standard for commercial fuels. It can be blended with fossil gasoline or completely replace it, while the existing refueling infrastructure can continue to be used. The only essential difference for the driver: they drive environmentally friendly.
Tests on engines and test benches, in fleet trials, and in motorsports confirm the practical feasibility. Since mid-2025, the fuel has been available to the public at the Classic gas station in Kirchweyhe (Lower Saxony). This technology forms the centerpiece of the first commercial production plant for synthetic gasoline currently in preparation in Germany – a project that is, as of now, unique in Europe.