While electric cars keep gaining ground, the search for alternatives to gasoline hasn’t stopped. One of the latest ideas to hit the road—synthetic fuel—is no longer just a lab experiment. It’s now a real product, ready to pour into a tank. But here’s the kicker: the price per gallon is absolutely staggering.
when electrification isn’t the only answer
Everyone’s talking about electrification. Makes sense. It’s efficient, cleaner in cities, and in some cases, it offers crazy acceleration (you’ve probably seen what a Tesla can do off the line). But it’s not a perfect solution for everything. Battery production raises environmental concerns. Long trips still involve planning. And some drivers just don’t feel like giving up combustion engines yet.
Hydrogen is floating around the conversation too. On paper, it’s promising. But when you dig into the numbers—energy efficiency, infrastructure, carbon footprint—it becomes a bit fuzzy. That’s where synthetic fuel quietly enters the scene. It’s designed to be used in regular internal combustion engines and, if produced the right way, could actually match the carbon balance of an electric vehicle. Sounds wild, right?
zero petroleum and a historic 5.3-gallon jerrycan
The first drop of commercially available synthetic gasoline has a name: 1st Barrel. It comes in a 5.3-gallon metal jerrycan, labeled and authenticated like a collector’s item. The company behind it—Zero Petroleum, based in the UK—developed this fuel using a process called petrosynthesis.
What does that mean? In short, they capture CO₂ from the air and mix it with hydrogen that’s been extracted through water electrolysis. The magic happens when the two are combined using renewable electricity from solar and wind sources. The end result is a liquid fuel with a similar energy density to unleaded gasoline and a research octane number of 95. In plain terms, it can power anything from your weekend sports car to your old daily driver, as long as it runs on spark ignition.
ready to fill up? not so fast
The catch? The price is $11,300 per gallon. Yes, you read that right. The first barrel—technically just over five gallons—was sold for £50,000, or roughly $62,000 at the current exchange rate. That breaks down to about €2,825 per liter, which makes this fuel more expensive than pretty much any liquid you can legally put in your car.
Now, this isn’t about pulling up to your local station and topping off your tank with futuristic gas. This is a proof of concept. Think of it like the first solar panels that cost a fortune and barely powered a lamp. The technology exists now. The challenge is scaling it, cutting costs, and figuring out how to produce it at a pace and price that works for the broader market.
One company—famous for building flat-six engines—is hoping to bring that cost down to around $8 per gallon in the long run. That’s still above what most Americans are used to paying at the pump, but it’s within a range that might one day compete with premium gasoline, especially if it lets vintage and high-performance cars stay on the road without additional emissions penalties.
carbon-neutral… or just another fantasy?
One thing to keep in mind: while synthetic fuel like this can be close to net-zero carbon when powered by renewables, that equation depends entirely on the energy mix. If the electricity comes from fossil fuels, the whole concept collapses. And unlike electric vehicles, where the electricity can come from various sources, synthetic fuel production locks in a huge amount of power consumption up front. It’s energy-intensive. Really energy-intensive.
Still, there’s something comforting (and maybe slightly nostalgic) about keeping internal combustion alive without blowing up the planet in the process. This could be a way to decarbonize the massive fleet of vehicles already on the road, without forcing everyone into something new or electric. You can imagine the appeal to owners of classic cars or anyone not quite ready to let go of their V8.
what happens next?
That depends on how fast the industry can scale up. Right now, it’s all early-stage. A few jerrycans here and there, some test runs, and a lot of high expectations. But synthetic fuels like this might eventually carve out a niche—especially if regulations get tighter on emissions but allow alternatives for legacy engines.
One thing’s certain: we’re watching the early steps of a technology that could reshape the narrative around gasoline. Not replace it entirely. Not save the world. But maybe, just maybe, give us another card to play as we try to balance performance, nostalgia, and responsibility.
(And yes, at over $11,000 per gallon, it’s definitely not your next fill-up… unless you’re feeling generous with your wallet or just really into fuel-tech memorabilia.)
