Your Favorite Japanese Automakers Are Joining Forces To Keep Engines Alive

1 week, 4 days ago - 16 April 2025, carbuzz

Back in September, a company called Eneos announced it had completed its first synthetic fuels demonstration plant in Yokohama City, Japan, in partnership with Toyota, Mazda, Suzuki, Subaru, and Daihatsu.

It's the first facility of its kind in Japan that is capable of handling the entire process of producing synthetic fuels from raw materials, with operations starting in fall of last year.

At the facility, green electricity is used in the process of producing the raw material of CO2-free hydrogen, with a production scale of one barrel per day, or about 42 gallons. Now, the new synthetic fuel produced at the facility will be used in production cars for the first time publicly at the upcoming Expo 2025 in Japan.

The only catch is that it'll be a blend, with synthetic fuel mixed in with traditionally-sourced fuel. Still, it's more carbon-efficient than before, and a huge step on the path to pure carbon neutrality from complete use of sustainable fuels.

Where The Fuel Will Be Used First
Various vehicles from the partnered automakers will use the synthetic fuel to shepherd people around the Expo grounds, including guests of Toyota, Mazda, Suzuki, Subaru, and Daihatsu. It's not clear what grade the fuel is rated at, or how efficient it is in current gas engine technologies. It's also not mentioned whether the vehicles require modification to run on the fuel. All that's said is that the automakers have previously proven the tech for themselves, and this will be the first public demo.

A Path To Carbon Neutrality For Gas Cars
Development of a liquid carbon-neutral synthetic fuel should slot nicely into existing infrastructure, keeping overall costs of implementation down compared to something like the infrastructure required for EV adoption. That is, if the cost of producing the fuel isn't too obstructive, which isn't mentioned in this latest announcement from Eneos and its partnered automakers.

Still, the Japanese group of automakers believes that "engine-equipped vehicles running on synthetic fuel are a key mobility option on the path toward carbon neutrality." It's also worth noting that Subaru has been making inroads in the technology for years, as have Toyota and several European automakers, indicating the industry is determined to bring it to reality.