Is ‘Solar Gasoline’ a Viable Alternative to Electric Power?
A Harley-Davidson has been made to run entirely on fuel made from sunlight, and it actually works.
In a move that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi novel, a Harley-Davidson has just completed a world-first ride using solar gasoline, a synthetic, renewable fuel produced entirely using solar energy.
The machine in question belongs to Professor Aldo Steinfeld, the brains behind the breakthrough, who fired up his V-twin beast and took it for a spin outside Synhelion’s solar fuel plant in Jülich, Germany.
Now, this wasn’t just a flashy PR stunt. This is the first time a motorcycle has been powered by solar fuel, and it signals a real, tangible shift toward sustainable mobility, without ditching the beloved combustion engine.
Born in a lab, burned on the road
The ride was powered by Synhelion’s solar gasoline, which is made by turning water and CO₂ into liquid fuel using concentrated solar heat. The result? A fuel that works just like the fossil stuff but is nearly carbon-neutral. It emits only as much CO2 as was used to make it, which is a bit like saying your Harley drinks responsibly.
Crucially, this isn't some watered-down blend or exotic concoction. It's a drop-in replacement for standard petrol, meaning Professor Steinfeld’s Harley needed no modifications whatsoever. He simply filled it up and rode off, riding into the future, as it were.
From science to saddle
Steinfeld, a professor at ETH Zurich and one of the key figures behind Synhelion’s tech, has spent decades working on solar thermochemistry. But he’s also a biker at heart, and seeing him roll out of Synhelion’s “DAWN” facility on his own Harley wasn’t just symbolic, it was personal.
“This is a dream come true,” he said. “I’m so proud of all the groundbreaking achievements, and especially grateful to the entire Synhelion team for making solar fuels a reality.”
His Harley was prepped and fuelled by Synhelion’s co-founders, Philipp Furler and Gianluca Ambrosetti, who called the ride a tribute to Steinfeld’s pioneering work in the energy space. The moment wasn’t about proving the fuel works, it already meets all conventional standards and can be mixed with fossil fuels, it was about showing it in action, and giving the concept a bit of two-wheeled soul.
No EVs? No problem
While EVs dominate the sustainability headlines, Synhelion’s approach is different. Rather than reinvent the wheel, they’re aiming to defossilise the existing fleet—using synthetic fuels that can slot straight into today’s vehicles. No charging stations, no battery swap-outs, no range anxiety.
That includes planes, cars, trucks, and yes, motorcycles.
What comes next?
This ride was just the start. Synhelion says it’s planning real-world demonstrations across a variety of vehicles in the coming months. The tech is now proven at industrial scale, and the team is shifting focus toward commercialisation.
For bikers, this could mean a future where you keep your petrol-powered pride and joy on the road, without wrecking the planet in the process.
So, next time someone tells you your Harley has no place in a net-zero world, tell them it runs on sunshine. Literally.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
