What is synthetic gasoline?

Synthetic gasoline, or e-gasoline, is chemically similar to the fuel refineries make from crude oil — but the carbon comes from captured carbon dioxide and the hydrogen comes from electrolysis powered by renewable electricity.

The appeal is drop-in compatibility. Existing engines, pumps, pipelines and aircraft can use it without modification, which matters enormously for fleets and aviation that cannot easily be electrified.

The drawback is efficiency. Building a liquid fuel from electricity wastes most of that electricity. It makes sense where energy density is essential, and very little sense where a battery would do.