Electric vehicle restomods have become increasingly common in recent years, blending powerful electric powertrains with classic styling.

But not everybody who wishes to breathe new life into an older model wants to do so using electric power. Following a recent poll of 728 classic car owners by specialist insurer Footman James, it was found that an overwhelming majority would rather turn to synthetic fuels for their classic or collectible cars, assuming that regular gas or diesel was no longer available.

This shows that the development of e-fuels is essential for modern vehicles and the collector car industry as we transition away from traditional gas. An earlier report shows that almost 50% of surveyed classic car enthusiasts feel increasing environmental scrutiny about their cars.

The poll was conducted in the UK at a recent Coffee & Chrome event to determine what non-fossil fueled options classic car owners were considering. 76% said they'd want to use synthetic fuels, compared to just 24% for electric conversions. As we discussed earlier this year, there are both pros and cons to synthetic fuels - or e-fuels.

Obviously, they will keep the combustion engine alive, which is as much justification as any gearhead needs. Porsche successfully demonstrated the use of e-fuels in February with a pair of 718 Cayman GT4 RS models. On the downside, synthetic fuels are currently extremely expensive to produce, especially in the volumes required.

Still, we believe that investing in e-fuels alongside electric vehicles has considerable merit, and based on this new poll by Footman James, classic car enthusiasts agree.

"The reality is that if people want to keep running their classics on petrol, there will be plenty available for several decades to come," said Chief Executive of the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA), Garry Wilson. "My main message is don't panic. Most of us will not have to make this difficult decision."

David Bond, Managing Director of Footman James, said his company's poll "highlights to organizations the power that e-fuels have to secure ICE cars' relevance and sustainability in the future."

Besides Porsche, other automakers are continuing to investigate the exciting possibilities of e-fuels. Hyundai is one of them, despite EVs like the Ioniq 5 continuing to be a greater priority. Unsurprisingly, Lamborghini is also investing in synthetic fuels to retain its vehicles' emotional appeal in the future.

While the long-term feasibility of e-fuels remains uncertain, we hope that the tech takes off for the benefit of enthusiasts everywhere - whether or not they drive a new or classic car.