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Passing Gas
Most vehicles run on gasoline. And that isn't going to change anytime soon. Can we make gas production less carbon-y?
Mathew Growden
June 01, 2025
Aircela’s refrigerator-sized device makes gas out of thin air
Although a lot of folks aren’t happy about it, the automotive industry is transitioning to electric vehicles. As Mike Colias describes in his new book, that transition is inEVitable. amazon.ca
While we wait for that transition to happen, most vehicles will continue to run on gasoline. You can say it. Thank you captain fucking obvious.
Some OEMs and other companies are exploring ways to extend the lifespan of gas-powered vehicles by producing carbon-neutral, synthetic e-fuels.
At the heart of e-fuel production is a simple but powerful formula: capture CO₂ from the atmosphere or industrial processes, combine it with green hydrogen (produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity), and synthesize it into liquid hydrocarbons.
Because the energy used in this process is carbon-neutral (typically sourced from wind, solar, or hydro), the resulting fuel carries a notably reduced carbon footprint.
Porsche, in partnership with Siemens Energy, stands at the forefront of the e-fuels movement. They are actively pursuing the production of e-fuels in a facility in Chile so that Porsche drivers can continue to rev those engines for years to come. porsche.com, carscoops.com, autocar.co.uk
Porsche is not alone. Subaru, Mazda and Toyota have their own plans that include pursuing the development of new engines that “will be made carbon neutral by shifting away from fossil fuels and offering compatibility with various alternatives, including e-fuel (synthetic fuel), biofuels, and liquid hydrogen.” newsroom.mazda.com
Brookfield is venturing into the e-fuels market, dropping up to $1.1 billion into California-based e-fuel start-up Infinium. ft.com
Oil giant Saudi Aramco (who really fucking loves oil) is also stepping up its investment in e-fuels. ft.com
These companies’ interests aren’t exclusively altruistic. E-fuels are expected to be big business.
The e-fuel Market was valued at $7.8 billion USD in 2024, and is projected to reach $123.2 billion USD by 2034.
This growth can be attributed to advancements in renewable energy, increasing environmental concerns, and various regional carbon emission regulations. globenewswire.com
To date, organizations aspiring to develop economically viable e-fuels have faced numerous technical, regulatory, and infrastructural challenges. The electrolysis process used to produce hydrogen from water is energy-intensive and currently more costly than traditional hydrogen production via natural gas (steam methane reforming). Direct air capture (DAC) technology is also expensive and energy-hungry.
As a result, today’s e-fuels can cost around $14 per gallon to produce. ft.com
It is fair to point out that the cost to produce e-fuels has decreased significantly in a relatively short amount of time. motortrend.com
But no one is going to pay $14 a gallon when the average gas price in the US is around $3.16 per gallon (or around $1.33 a litre in Canada, roughly $5.07 per gallon).
Aircela, a New York start-up, unveiled a technology this week that produces e-fuel in a device that’s the size of an average refrigerator.
Basically, it’s like putting a home gas station in your driveway.
Aircela Home Energy
No new engine. No app. Just low-carbon gas.
The unit produces about one gallon of fuel a day, stored in a compact tank that can hold 17 gallons.
The goal? Empowering everyday drivers, remote communities, and eventually even nations to generate their own clean fuel on-site, on-demand, and off-grid. popsci.com
What will Aircela’s device cost? They haven’t said.
However, the fact that this is even possible gives e-fuels a fighting chance at helping to decarbonize oil in a way that allows everyday drivers to pump their own gas someday.
China’s Automotive Expansion
Maextro S800 Sedan
Huawei goes all fancy, launches the Maextro S800 luxury sedan. autonews.com, cnevpost.com
Lexus kicks off direct sales of used vehicles in China. autonews.com
Geely opens showrooms in Chile and Nicaragua. cnevpost.com
Geely drove a tank over their new battery to demonstrate its safety. carnewschina.com
BYD finally launches the much-anticipated Yangwang U7. carnewschina.com
Brazil sues BYD over 'slave-like' conditions. bbc.com
China's commerce ministry summons industry leaders and automakers, including BYD and Dongfeng, to discuss increasing sales of "used cars" that were never driven. reuters.com
Must-Know Musk News
Who wants a Cybertruck?
Dozens of unsold Tesla Cybertrucks are piling up at a Detroit parking lot. techcrunch.com
Elon gets the hell out of DOGE. theverge.com
Elon might be backing away from Washington, but he’s still lobbying lawmakers to open the way for his robotaxis. techcrunch.com, bloomberg.com
Elon says the oil industry is “small-time”. oilprice.com
Elon says there’s an 80% chance Starship’s engine bay issues are solved. arstechnica.com
Tesla wants the US Senate to spare its booming energy business. techcrunch.com
Tesla shares have rallied in May despite shitty car sales numbers in Canada, China, and Europe. cnbc.com
Tesla is losing money insuring its own cars. electrek.co
Year over year, Tesla sales in Quebec fell 87%. electrek.co
Rise Of The Machines
Do robot dogs dream of robot dog treats?
Rivr’s dog-like robots join Veho vans to solve ‘last-100-yards’ parcel delivery. techcrunch.com
Start-up Intempus aims to retrofit existing robots with human-like emotional expressions to facilitate better interactions between humans and machines. techcrunch.com
Hugging Face launches two new humanoid robots. techcrunch.com
Question: What has two arms and is ready for you to teach it how to pick stuff out of your garden? Answer: The Willow X robot. newatlas.com, eeve.com
Energy
Experts say the potential linking of BC’s power grid with Yukon would be a game-changer for the territory’s quality of life and economy. ctvnews.ca
US axes 24 clean energy projects, including one at Exxon's Baytown, Texas refinery complex. reuters.com
Drill baby, drill? US oil drillers cut production to the lowest level since November 2021. reuters.com
US crude stockpiles fell by 2.8 million barrels. wsj.com
Strathcona's hostile bid for MEG Energy is being called the 'largest investment in the Canadian oilpatch in a decade'. financialpost.com
Calgary's drinking water is being fluoridated again. cbc.ca
But Wait, There’s More
Ford Performance’s Super Mustang Mach-E Race Ready EV
Ford Performance has a new monster EV it plans to run up Pikes Peak. theverge.com
Ford has a rearview camera problem. theverge.com
Ford has a control arm problem. reuters.com
VW also has a rearview camera problem. usatoday.com
VW wants The Donald to know they have big investment plans for the US. reuters.com
Four former VW executives received prison sentences for their role in the emissions-cheating scandal that fundamentally transformed the automotive industry. techcrunch.com
Stellantis shows off the new Jeep Cherokee SUV. cnbc.com
Stellantis appoints Antonio Filosa as the new North American Chief Operating Officer. cnbc.com
Stellantis gets friendly with Google and says goodbye to Amazon. reuters.com, techcrunch.com
Toyota plans for more PHEVs. cnbc.com
Hyundai likes robots. theverge.com
Honda Canada certifies used vehicles up to 10 model years old. autonews.com
Volvo plans to cut 3.000 jobs from its workforce. bbc.com
Uber might have a patent problem. techcrunch.com
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's son has not obtained his license and instead uses ride-hailing services. businessinsider.com
Rare earth magnets get rarer outside of China. reuters.com
Let’s Circle Back
Here are some updates on some previous newsletters
There are more questions, not fewer, about Tesla’s Cybercab launch. Tesla just started testing its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas without safety drivers over the last few days. “But key groups—including Austin’s transportation department, Austin’s emergency first responders, and federal regulators—are still missing important information about the self-driving machines set to imminently hit the roads of the Texas.” capital. theverge.com, electrek.co, fortune.com
A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated the most sweeping of The Donald's tariffs, a day after a US trade court ruled that he had exceeded his authority in imposing the duties in the first place.
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