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A compact machine developed by an American startup has placed synthetic fuels at the center of a new discussion about gasoline engines, decentralized production, and alternatives to oil amid the energy transition.
The startup Aircela, founded in New York by Mia Dahlgren and Eric Dahlgren, developed a compact machine to produce synthetic gasoline from air, water, and renewable electricity.
The company’s proposal is to offer a liquid fuel compatible with existing gasoline engines, without relying on oil extraction and without requiring vehicle adaptation, according to information released by the company itself.
The equipment still operates on a small scale.
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In continuous operation, each unit is designed to capture and convert about 10 kilograms of CO₂ per day, a volume sufficient to generate approximately 1 gallon of gasoline daily, or about 3.8 liters.
This data is provided by Aircela on its frequently asked questions page, where the company also describes the steps of carbon capture, hydrogen production, and chemical conversion of the fuel.
The volume produced per day would not allow large-scale supply.
Even so, the technology is part of the debate on synthetic fuels because it seeks to demonstrate an alternative process to manufacture gasoline without fossil carbon.
Instead of extracting oil from the ground, the machine uses CO₂ captured from the atmosphere as one of the raw materials.
How Aircela transforms CO₂ into synthetic gasoline
According to Aircela, the system uses direct air capture, known by the acronym DAC.
In this step, the equipment removes carbon dioxide from the environment through an aqueous solution.
At the same time, the unit separates hydrogen from water by electrolysis, a process that depends on renewable electricity to reduce emissions associated with production.
After capturing the CO₂ and obtaining the hydrogen, the two elements are combined to form methanol.
Then, the methanol undergoes a catalytic process known as MTG, the acronym in English for methanol to gasoline.
The company claims that this method allows producing an automotive specification fuel in a modular and compact unit.
Aircela says it does not use the Fischer-Tropsch process, an industrial route also used in the production of synthetic fuels.
According to the company, its system adopts the direct hydrogenation of CO₂ to synthesize methanol and then the conversion of methanol into gasoline.
The distinction is relevant from a technical point of view because it indicates which chemical path was adopted in the prototype.
Fuel compatible with current gasoline engines
The final fuel is presented by the company as a “drop-in” product, a term used for fuels that can be used in existing engines and refueling systems.
Aircela claims that synthetic gasoline can be used alone or mixed with conventional gasoline, without changing the engine, tank, pump, or fuel system components.
In the most recent tests released by the company, the gasoline reached AKI 90, an index equivalent to RON 95 or higher.
Aircela also states that the product does not contain fossil carbon, ethanol, sulfur, or heavy metals.
These data, however, are company statements and still need to be observed in broader commercial contexts, with regular production, certification, and independent testing.
The central difference compared to regular gasoline is the origin of the carbon used in the process.
In conventional gasoline, the carbon comes from extracted and refined petroleum.
In the synthetic fuel described by Aircela, the carbon is captured from the air before being transformed into liquid fuel.
This does not mean the absence of emissions in the final use, as the engine continues to burn fuel and release CO₂ through the exhaust.
The potential reduction in climate impact depends on factors such as the source of electricity, process efficiency, amount of carbon captured, and the complete cycle of production, distribution, and use.
Therefore, the technology should not be treated as an automatic elimination of emissions.
The safest reading, based on what has been disclosed so far, is that it is an attempt to recycle atmospheric carbon to produce liquid fuel.
Why synthetic fuels interest transportation
In the transportation sector, synthetic fuels appear as an alternative in segments where electrification faces limitations of cost, range, infrastructure, or technical application.
Vehicles already in circulation, motorcycles, agricultural equipment, vessels, aviation, and vintage models are frequently cited cases in discussions about e-fuels.
For motorcycles, the topic has specific weight because part of the sector still depends on compact, lightweight engines with quick refueling.
Aircela’s technology does not change this scenario immediately, but it broadens the discussion on how liquid fuels could continue to be used in existing engines, provided they are produced through routes with less dependence on oil.
The current stage, however, still imposes clear limits.
A production close to 3.8 liters per day per unit is insufficient to meet fleets, fuel stations, or consumers on a commercial scale.
The viability of the solution will depend on increased production, cost per liter, availability of renewable energy, equipment reliability, and certification rules to prove the carbon origin.
Distributed production changes the logic of fuels
Aircela claims that its system was designed for distributed production, that is, in smaller units installed near the consumption site.
This model differs from the traditional logic of fossil fuels, which involves extraction, refining, transportation, and distribution by large industrial chains.
Even so, commercial adoption depends on factors that the company will need to demonstrate outside the prototype environment.
The discussion is not limited to the American startup.
Porsche, for example, has been supporting synthetic fuel projects for some years, including the Haru Oni plant in Chile, developed by HIF Global with the participation of industrial partners.
The project uses wind energy to produce hydrogen and combine it with CO₂, in a route aimed at manufacturing e-fuels.
European Union and MotoGP expand debate on e-fuels
In the European Union, the regulatory debate also opened space for synthetic fuels.
The rules approved for 2035 stipulated that new cars sold in the bloc could not emit CO₂, as part of the climate neutrality strategy by 2050.
In subsequent documents, the European Commission presented flexibilities related to e-fuels, biofuels, and other emission compensation alternatives for the automotive industry.
The European Parliament informs that gasoline and diesel vehicles already in circulation will be able to continue running after 2035.
The rule targets the sale of new models and not the immediate removal of existing vehicles from the streets.
This point helps explain why fuels compatible with current engines remain under discussion, especially for the fleet already produced.
In competitions, MotoGP also included non-fossil fuels in its technical calendar.
The category reported on July 30, 2025, that all classes of the World Championship must use 100% non-fossil fuel from 2027.
The verification of the carbon origin will be done through the C14 test, used to distinguish fossil carbon from recent carbon.
MotoGP itself cites two possible routes for these fuels: biofuels obtained from biological sources and e-fuels produced with CO₂ captured directly from the atmosphere.
The change was presented by the category as a continuation of a requirement initiated in 2024, when fuels began to have at least 40% non-fossil content.
This movement on the tracks does not guarantee mass adoption on the streets, but it shows that manufacturers, suppliers, and regulatory entities are testing alternatives to oil in controlled environments.
For the common consumer, the decisive points will be price, availability, guarantee of compatibility, and proof of environmental benefit in the complete cycle.
The Aircela machine, therefore, does not yet replace refineries or gas stations.
The equipment represents, so far, a technological demonstration of decentralized synthetic gasoline production from atmospheric CO₂, water, and renewable electricity.
The eventual arrival of this type of fuel on the market will depend on scale, cost, certification, and regulatory acceptance.
For internal combustion engines, the technology opens a front of debate that coexists with electrification, rather than nullifying it.
