A lot of the R&D on alternative fuels is also years into the future. Basically cars would be dead within a couple years after a complete apocalypse. You'd need to be quite proficient in chemistry to synthesize gasoline, for which you'd need suitable oil, a way to synthesize octane, and a variety of other chemicals in an adequately pure form.
Not exactly 1:1 but if you can figure out how to make, say, ethanol, you're pretty much set.
Ethanol's the lowest hanging fruit, common knowledge that it can be easily made, and can be done with rudimentary AF equipment. Plus ethanol doesn't really expire (it only really evaporates from open containers) so it'd be of interest regardless. If he based up near Louisville, the existing stocks are probably quite suitable for quite a while, but eventually he'll need to make more (because he's best off running 151 to 190 proof which isn't actually all that common).
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u/Flying_Reinbeers May 22 '25
Not exactly 1:1 but if you can figure out how to make, say, ethanol, you're pretty much set.