Swiss cleantech company and SPIN member 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 demonstration took place at the Supercar Owners Circle Classic Andermatt event, where the iconic vehicle—part of AMAG’s Classic collection—led a convoy over the Oberalp and Furka passes without any engine modifications. AMAG also is a member of SPIN. This milestone proves that Synhelion’s drop-in solar fuels can seamlessly replace conventional gasoline in existing combustion engines and infrastructure.

How It Works

Synhelion’s patented process harnesses concentrated solar heat to drive a thermochemical reaction, converting biogenic carbon sources and water into synthetic fuels. Their first industrial plant, DAWN in Jülich, Germany, has been producing solar kerosene (SAF), diesel, and gasoline at scale since 2024. Because these fuels release only the CO₂ that was captured during production, they are effectively carbon-neutral when used.

Significance for Sustainable Mobility

This automotive demonstration follows earlier tests—a motorcycle ride and the refuelling of a steamboat with solar diesel—and marks Synhelion’s third sector application this year. Philipp Furler, Co-CEO and co-founder of Synhelion, emphasized that this is a crucial step toward net-zero mobility: “We’ve shown for the first time that solar gasoline can power a car under real-world conditions, proving our technology is road-ready”  .

Helmut Ruhl, CEO of the AMAG Group and pilot of the Audi Sport quattro, noted how indistinguishable the performance felt compared to fossil fuel: “It was remarkable how normal it felt—apart from the much lower CO₂ emissions. Renewable fuels like Synhelion’s are an important complement to electrification”.

Looking Ahead

With DAWN now operating commercially, Synhelion plans to scale up production and demonstrate solar fuels across a wider range of transport applications. By enabling legendary engines to run on carbon-neutral fuel, the company aims to bridge today’s vehicles into a sustainable mobility future.

However, although the technology is there–the Fischer-Tropsch-Synthesis is actually celebrating its 100th anniversary this month–it all depends on the will of politics and state authorities. Current regulation was built around the emphasis to ban the internal combustion engine and puts unnecessary obstacles in the way of investments into the needed infrastructure. It is often based on biased (or strategic PR) reports that are not based on physics and natural laws. SPIN is working hard towards fact oriented regulations that bring us closer to the goal that renewable fuels become cheaper that fossil fuels.

Source: Synhelion AG, “Media Release: Synhelion fuels first car with solar gasoline,” Zurich, July 3, 2025