The startup Aircela has presented a device capable of generating petrol using only air, water, and renewable electricity. The fuel is compatible with any petrol engine without modifications.
A New York-based startup has managed to convert air, water, and electricity into petrol. Aircela, founded in 2019 by Eric and Mia Dahlgren, has showcased a machine that produces synthetic fuel ready to use in any petrol car without the need to adapt the engine in several public demonstrations.
The process, as detailed by the company, is divided into three phases. First, a fan introduces air into the machine, where a network captures CO2 and generates a liquid carbon solution. Next, an electrolyser separates that solution while producing hydrogen from water. Finally, a compressor combines both elements to create methanol, which is refined into petrol.
The result is a fuel free of sulphur, ethanol, and heavy metals. Eric Dahlgren, CEO of Aircela, has made it clear that this is not just a simple concept: "We have not built a prototype. We have built a machine that works," he stated in remarks reported by Popular Science.
The current output is modest. Each machine captures about 10 kilos of CO2 per day and produces one gallon of petrol (approximately 3.8 litres), with a storage tank of up to 17 gallons (about 65 litres). This means that filling a car's tank would require several days. Additionally, the process consumes roughly double the energy that is stored in the fuel, placing its efficiency below 50%.
Nonetheless, Aircela claims that using independent solar panels, the electrical cost would be under $1.50 per gallon. The company does not compete with electric cars but complements them in uses where replacing the vehicle is not viable in the short term, such as freight transport, motor racing, or areas without electrical infrastructure.
Dahlgren explained that the company does not plan to manufacture larger machines but to multiply the number of units, similar to a solar farm. Initial uses will focus on industrial and commercial clients and areas without access to the electrical grid, according to Interesting Engineering.
Aircela has raised nearly $5.5 million to date, according to Pitchbook. Among its investors are Chris Larsen, founder of Ripple; Jeff Ubben, activist advisor to ExxonMobil; and Maersk Growth, the venture capital fund of the Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk. Morten Bo Christiansen, head of energy transition at Maersk, has noted that the shipping company invested due to the innovative approach and hopes to transition from investor to customer.
The technology is based on the work of physicist Klaus Lackner, a pioneer in direct air capture and former mentor of Dahlgren during his PhD at Columbia University. Aircela has negotiated with several car manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover, although it has not disclosed the names of two other manufacturers, one American and one German.
At the moment, there is no date for commercial deployment, but the company is progressing in its testing. For drivers who do not want to switch to electric, this technology could offer an alternative without modifying their engines, although large-scale production is still a long way off.
You may also like
