That is the projected cost, give or take, of a gallon of "carbon neutral" gasoline, also styled "e-fuel." It will enable the very rich who can afford to buy it to continue driving their non-electric cars while make-pretending that they "care" for the "environment."

In fact, of course, what they care about is being able to continue driving something that isn't tethered to a cord.

That's for the rest of us.

But what is "carbon neutral" fuel? It is fuel that, when burned, causes no more "carbon" to be "emitted" than was first removed from the air. This entails a very complex – very expensive – process of sequestering, condensing and converting air (the constituent chemical elements) into liquid fuel. It takes a tremendous amount of electricity to power this process – and for it to be "carbon neutral," it must all be sourced "cleanly," as from windmills and solar arrays.

As if carbon dioxide were "dirty."

As if it caused pollution or fouled the environment. It does neither – in the least. But it takes a lot of energy to make "clean" fuels. According to a Reuters news story, quoting the Nature Climate Journal, "Using e-fuel in a gasoline or diesel car requires about five times more renewable electricity than running a battery-electric vehicle."

It is similar in concept to the artificial making of oil by condensing raw materials, applying heat and pressure.

The result is oil that cost more energy to make than you get.

But what does the cost of "carbon neutral" fuel matter to the few who can already afford to spend six figures-plus on a car?