152 racing cars, 7,500 kilometers across the desert, reduced engine knock and environmental friendliness — the new fuel outperforms imported 98-octane.

As reported by CCTV+, at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Taklimakan International Rally, China officially unveiled its first domestically produced racing fuel with an octane rating of 103.

After the start on Saturday morning, 152 racing cars and about 300 participants from around the world set off on an extreme 7,500-kilometer journey across the desert. The rally, exclusively sponsored by Sinopec X-Power, chose the new fuel as its official fuel.

The 103-octane fuel developed by Sinopec fills a gap in the domestic market for high-quality racing gasoline. Its research octane number exceeds 103 — five points higher than commercially available 98-octane fuel. It effectively reduces the risk of engine knock under high compression and heavy loads.

Li Zhongdan, Deputy Director of the New Materials Research Institute at Sinopec Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd., explained: “Designed for extreme racing conditions — high speeds, heavy loads and long continuous operation — the fuel has a conductivity of at least 500 pS/m, reducing the risk of static electricity buildup during high-flow refueling. The olefin content is controlled at about 1 percent, roughly 80 percent lower than ordinary 98-octane gasoline, improving combustion efficiency and power. It contains no lead or manganese antiknock additives and has extremely low sulfur content, balancing high performance with environmental protection.”

For many years, China’s racing fuel market was heavily dependent on imports. Some teams blended their own fuel, leading to long procurement cycles, high costs and unstable supply chains.

Liu Zhihua, Vice President of Sales at Sinopec, stated: “The participation of domestically produced high-octane racing fuel in the Taklimakan Rally indicates that China’s high-performance racing fuel has entered a new phase of systematic R&D, standardized production and branded supply. This not only fills the gap in the domestic high-quality racing fuel market but also opens a new path for the standardization and professional supply of high-quality racing fuel in China, providing reliable energy support for the high-quality development of China’s motorsports industry.”

152 cars. 7,500 kilometers of sand. And new fuel that does not explode where ordinary fuel would. China no longer buys racing gasoline from abroad or relies on makeshift blends. It has created its own — 103-octane. It is cleaner, more stable and more powerful than imported 98-octane. The Taklimakan is no longer just a survival race. It has become a testing ground for domestic chemistry. The question is not who will finish first. The question is how many countries will now want to buy this fuel. Because in the desert, it is not only drivers who win. Technologies that are not afraid of heat, dust and knock win. And Chinese fuel has no competitors in this race. It looks like this is only the beginning.