Synhelion fuels car with solar gasoline for the first time ever

In Switzerland, Synhelion has fueled a car with solar gasoline for the first time ever – a global first for road transportation. The 1985 Audi Sport quattro, part of the AMAG Classic car collection, became the first vehicle in history to run on solar gasoline produced at Synhelion’s industrial-scale plant DAWN in Jülich, Germany.

The car’s historic drive marks the debut of solar gasoline as a viable, drop-in fuel for existing internal combustion engines. No modifications were made to the Audi’s original 306 hp engine, demonstrating the compatibility of Synhelion’s renewable synthetic fuel with today’s vehicles and infrastructure.

The solar gasoline was produced at Synhelion’s first industrial plant, DAWN, which has been generating synthetic fuels on an industrial scale since 2024. Synhelion’s proprietary technology uses solar heat to drive a thermochemical process that converts a biogenic carbon source and water into synthetic drop-in fuels, namely sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), gasoline, and diesel. These fuels are nearly CO₂-neutral, emitting only as much CO₂ during use as was used in their production.

The Audi Sport quattro’s solar-powered journey took place during the Supercar Owners Circle Classic Andermatt event that included tours over the world-renowned Swiss mountain passes of Oberalp and Furka. The iconic Audi led the convoy as a powerful symbol of how technological innovation and automotive heritage can come together to accelerate progress toward net-zero mobility.