egasoline

Egasoline, or e-gasoline, is a synthetic liquid fuel produced from electricity and carbon dioxide through a power-to-liquid pathway. It is intended to be a drop-in replacement for conventional gasoline, compatible with existing engines and fueling infrastructure.

Production typically starts with renewable electricity used to electrolyze water and generate hydrogen. The hydrogen is then combined with captured carbon dioxide in catalytic processes such as Fischer–Tropsch synthesis or methanol-to-gasoline routes to produce hydrocarbons in the gasoline range. Other approaches include direct CO2 hydrogenation followed by refining. The result is a hydrocarbon fuel that resembles conventional gasoline in composition and energy density.

Advantages cited for e-gasoline include the potential for lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when produced with low-carbon electricity and effective carbon capture, and the ability to use current vehicles and distribution systems without major infrastructure changes. It can also enable storage of renewable energy in liquid form. However, e-gasoline faces significant challenges.

Key challenges include low overall energy efficiency compared with direct electricity use in vehicles, high capital costs, and the need for reliable, low-carbon electricity and a steady supply of captured CO2. Large-scale production and commercialization remain limited, with pilot projects and demonstration plants abroad and prices highly sensitive to policy support and feedstock costs.

Environmental impact depends on the electricity source and carbon capture effectiveness; when powered by renewable energy with proper capture, life-cycle emissions can be substantially reduced relative to fossil gasoline.