Toyota and Mazda Take the Lead: New Synthetic Fuels Unveiled at World Expo in Japan

At Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, visitors will be transported in cars that not only move – but do so using a fuel made from CO₂ and hydrogen. Six Japanese industrial giants, including Toyota, Mazda, and Suzuki, have partnered with energy company ENEOS to showcase the potential of synthetic fuels as part of the movement toward climate-neutral mobility. This was announced in a joint press release by the automakers and ENEOS on April 11, 2025.

The project, supported by Japan’s innovation agency NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), uses synthetic fuel produced at ENEOS’s newly built demonstration plant in Yokohama. The facility, completed in September 2024, covers the entire production process – from CO₂ capture to the finished fuel.

Toyota and Mazda will provide vehicles for transporting guests, while Suzuki, Subaru, and Daihatsu will supply cars for Expo staff and other personnel. All models will run on a fuel blend containing synthetic gasoline, which has been pre-tested and approved by the manufacturers.

Synthetic fuels are typically produced by combining CO₂ (captured from the air or industrial sources) with green hydrogen made from renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The result is a type of liquid fuel that can be used in existing internal combustion engines and fuel infrastructure – but with a significantly reduced carbon footprint over its entire lifecycle.

According to the press release, the trial at the World Expo will serve both as a technological test and as a statement that the internal combustion engine may still have a future – just with greener fuel in the tank. However, it remains unclear when the technology will be scalable for commercial use. The production of synthetic fuel is still both energy-intensive and costly compared to conventional fuels and electric vehicles.

Expo 2025 opens on April 13, 2025, and runs through October 13 of the same year.

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