New gasoline is here! No. 103, made in Ningbo.

On May 16th,

the first batch of domestically produced 103-octane high-grade racing gasoline,

“AiPao 103 Gasoline”,

was officially put into use at the 2026 Airo China Rally of the RACers.

“AiPao 103 Racing Gasoline” was independently developed by Sinopec, with Zhenhai Refining & Chemical taking the lead in research and development and being the sole producer. It fills the domestic gap in high-performance racing fuel and ends the long-term reliance on imported fuel for top-level events in China.

▲ AiPao No. 103 Gasoline

The grade of gasoline usually refers to its octane number, which is an important parameter for measuring the anti-knock property of gasoline. It directly determines the power output limit and operational stability of the engine. The 103-grade racing gasoline that has been put into use is a high-end product specifically developed for the extreme working conditions of racing engine, such as high rotational speed, heavy load, and continuous operation for a long time. The research octane number of this product is above 103, which is 5 units higher than the 98-grade automotive gasoline available on the market. It can effectively reduce the risk of detonation in the racing engine under high compression ratio and heavy load conditions.

Moreover, it is not just “more resistant to detonation”.

It wakes up faster than ordinary 98-grade “gasoline”: the 90% distillation temperature is controlled within 110℃, which is about 50℃ lower than that of ordinary 98-grade. The fuel can evaporate and burn quickly once it enters the cylinder, providing power for climbing, getting out of trouble, and cornering acceleration. The power is available on demand.

It is also “cleaner” than ordinary 98-grade: the content of alkenes is only about 1%, which is more than 80% lower than that of ordinary 98-grade. The carbon deposits and gums are significantly reduced, and the power remains “new” even after long-term driving.

It is also very safe: for the large-flowing refueling scenarios in the racing field, the electrical conductivity is greater than 500 ps/m, effectively eliminating the risk of static electricity accumulation, and the refueling is fast and stable.

It does not contain metal anti-knock agents and complies with the requirements of the sixth generation of environmental protection. High performance, and it can also be very green.

▲The first batch of racing fuel was dispatched from Zhenhai Refining and Chemical to the camps of each racing driver.

The racing vehicles were operating under high rotational speed and heavy load for a long time, which placed higher demands on the fuel’s anti-knock property, combustion response and stable output capability.

For a long time, the domestic high-end racing fuel market has largely relied on imported racing fuel. Some teams also adjust the fuel mix according to the engine requirements, which not only leads to long procurement cycles and high costs, but also brings risks of unstable supply chain. The appearance of No. 103 racing gasoline at the Tengger Desert Rally indicates an important breakthrough in the independent research and industrial production of racing-specific fuel in China.

▲ The test driver of the Jiujiang team tested the use of AiPao No. 103 gasoline.