One of the most important components of traditional gasoline is octane, a hydrocarbon with eight carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms. Synthetic fuel follows the same formula, but instead of refining the chemicals from non-renewable fossil fuels pumped from deep in the earth, it’s made by capturing free carbon from the atmosphere and other sources. In the case of Porsche’s eFuel program, the company partnered with HIF Global, which has successfully been making synthetic gas by electrolyzing hydrogen and oxygen from water, then combining it with captured carbon to create the requisite formula to run an internal combustion engine.
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