Fuel 101 — Craft & Refuel Vehicles the Right Way (and the Gotchas): Refineries, Fuel Cells, and Inventory Quirks

Keep your sandbike, buggy, and ’thopter running: where to get fuel cells, which refinery to build, and the easy-to-miss mistakes that strand players on Arrakis.

Vehicles are freedom in Dune: Awakening—until a dry tank turns your freedom into a long walk across open sands. This guide is a practical, step‑by‑step playbook for fueling vehicles reliably from your first sandbike to late‑game runs, with hard numbers where they matter and targeted fixes for the most common refuel headaches.

We’ll cover:

• The fuel ecosystem (Fuel Cells vs. Vehicle Fuel Cells, and sizes)
• Which refinery to craft first (and why), plus power/water needs
• Exact recipes and efficiency trade‑offs
• Refueling correctly (and why putting cells in the wrong place fails)
• Smart inventory habits (volume, stack size, and death protection)
• Common gotchas and current workarounds

Fuel, demystified: what powers what

• Fuel Cell (raw) — a world resource that powers your base (via Fuel‑Powered Generators) and is the input you refine into Vehicle Fuel Cells. Don’t confuse these two: raw Fuel Cells go into generators; Vehicle Fuel Cells go into vehicles.
• Vehicle Fuel Cells (refined) — come in Small, Medium, and Large. All three fuel vehicles; their only differences are capacity, volume (how much backpack space they take), and the recipe.
  • Small: capacity ~200, volume 2.0V, stack size 1. Good early range; cheap to make; no water required at a Medium Refinery.
  • Medium: capacity ~400, volume 3.33V, stack size 1. Great carry efficiency; needs water to craft.
  • Large: capacity ~800, volume 5.0V, stack size 1. Best for long runs; water‑intensive to craft; Medium Refinery required.

Carry efficiency (fuel per inventory volume): Small ≈ 100 fuel/V, Medium ≈ 120 fuel/V, Large ≈ 160 fuel/V. That means a Medium cell carries ~20% more fuel per volume than two Smalls (same 400 fuel, but 3.33V vs 4.0V), and a Large is the pack mule’s friend. Numbers derive from the in‑game volumes and capacities above.

Quick rule: If backpack space is tight, go Medium/Large. If water is tight, make Smalls at a Medium Refinery (no water cost) until your water supply stabilizes.

Where to get Fuel Cells (raw) early

Early on, the fastest sources are wrecked vehicles and scavenger camps—keep an Improvised Cutter handy and comb the debris. You’ll also find Fuel Cells lying around and in containers.

You can also buy Vehicle Fuel Cells (especially Smalls) from specific tradepost vendors or the Exchange (player auction house) in hubs like Arrakeen and Harko Village if your wallet’s heavier than your schedule.

Which refinery to build first (and why)

You’ll see two key Chemical Refineries:

1. Small Chemical Refinery — power cost ~15, 5 slots / 200V internal capacity. Light footprint, fast to place, “good enough” for early processing. Requires base power and placement near your Sub‑Fief Console.
2. Medium Chemical Refinery — power cost ~350, 5 slots / 200V. More recipes, better efficiency, and it can access vehicles when parked nearby (handy for shuttling inputs/outputs). Also place it near your Sub‑Fief Console.

Recommendation:

• Start with Small if your base power is low; 15 power is easy to sustain.
• Rush Medium once you can afford the power draw and build cost—its recipes are more efficient and faster, and it unlocks Medium/Large Vehicle Fuel Cells.

Power tip: Refineries require continuous base power. Your Fuel‑Powered Generator burns Fuel Cells (raw), not Vehicle Fuel Cells. Keep a stack of raw Fuel Cells in the generator, especially during long crafting queues.

The recipes that actually matter (and how to choose)

All vehicles can drink any Vehicle Fuel Cell size, but your crafting inputs and water budget change across stations. Use these current (2025) figures:

Small Vehicle Fuel Cell

• Small Refinery: 25 Fuel Cells → 1 Small Vehicle Fuel Cell in 15s (no water).
• Medium Refinery: 20 Fuel Cells → 1 Small Vehicle Fuel Cell in 10s (no water).

Why it’s good: The Medium Refinery recipe is extremely resource‑friendly: 20 raw → 200 fuel capacity = 10 capacity per raw Fuel Cell, no water cost. It’s also fast (10s).

Medium Sized Vehicle Fuel Cell

• Medium Refinery: 40 Fuel Cells + 15 mL Water → 1 Medium in 15s.
• Small Refinery: 45 Fuel Cells + 15 mL Water → 1 Medium in 20s.

Why it’s good: Same 10 capacity per raw Fuel Cell ratio as Small-at-Medium, but you pay water for the carry efficiency. Consider Mediums once you’ve got reliable water (Windtraps/Blood Purifier).

Large Vehicle Fuel Cell

• Medium Refinery only: 80 Fuel Cells + 30 mL Water → 1 Large in 15s. Best for expeditions and Deep Desert logistics.

Choosing wisely

• Scarce water? Craft Smalls at a Medium Refinery—same Fuel‑Cell efficiency as Medium/Large, zero water.
• Tight inventory? Craft Medium/Large—you’ll carry more miles per volume.
• Short trips and early game? One Small is usually enough for a sandbike circuit if you remember to refuel before you leave.

Step‑by‑step: a foolproof refuel routine

1. Load raw Fuel Cells into your backpack (and your base generator if you’ll be crafting for a while). Raw Fuel Cells are found broadly in the world and power your base generator.
2. Use your refinery:
   • If you only have Small Refinery, make Smalls (25 → 1) or Mediums when you can spare the water.
   • If you have Medium Refinery, favor Smalls (20 → 1) for cheap, quick stock; step up to Mediums/Larges when volume or range demands it.
3. Pick up the Vehicle Fuel Cells from the refinery into your character inventory (not the vehicle, not a chest). This matters for the next step.
4. Walk to your vehicle and interact → Refuel. The refuel action only recognizes Vehicle Fuel Cells that are on your character. If your cells are in the vehicle’s cargo or a nearby chest, the prompt will fail—move them into your backpack first. This exact “personal inventory” requirement has tripped up many players.
5. Stow spares in base storage or keep one extra Medium/Large for road insurance.

No gas stations needed: You refuel directly at the vehicle via the interact menu; you don’t need a special building for the act of refueling. (Community video demos show the pick‑up‑and‑refuel flow.)

Inventory quirks that cause 80% of refuel fails

• Wrong item: Raw Fuel Cells ≠ Vehicle Fuel Cells. Vehicles won’t accept raw Fuel Cells; refine first. The base generator, by contrast, uses raw Fuel Cells.
• Wrong place: The Vehicle Fuel Cell must be in your character inventory at refuel time. Having it in vehicle storage or a base chest won’t count for the refuel prompt.
• Stack size is 1: Each Vehicle Fuel Cell occupies one slot, so your inventory clogs fast if you carry several Smalls. This is why Medium/Large shine later. (Small and Medium pages list stack size and volume.)
• “Dropped on Death: No”: The cell items themselves are marked not to drop on death, which is comforting—but don’t rely on that to save you from everything (see the bug note below).
• Spice‑infused Fuel Cells are not vehicle fuel. They’re for spice‑powered generators. If you craft them by mistake, your bikes and ’thopters won’t drink them.

Power & water planning for a smooth fuel pipeline

• Base power: Your refineries won’t run without base power, and buildings can degrade if power runs out. Keep your Fuel‑Powered Generator topped up with raw Fuel Cells during crafting runs.
• Water budget: Only Medium and Large Vehicle Fuel Cells consume water to craft. If your water is coming from Windtraps and Blood Purifiers, stage that production first so you aren’t robbing your medical or survival needs to fuel vehicles.
• Station placement: Place refineries near the Sub‑Fief Console (required) and, if you’re using a Medium Refinery, park vehicles nearby so the station can access them—useful when moving heavy inputs and outputs.

Efficiency cheatsheet (September 2025 values)

• Small @ Small Refinery: 25 raw → 200 fuel capacity (8 cap per raw), 15s, no water.
• Small @ Medium Refinery: 20 raw → 200 (10 cap per raw), 10s, no water → best “cheap fuel” option.
• Medium @ Medium Refinery: 40 raw + 15 mL water → 400 (10 cap per raw), 15s.
• Large @ Medium Refinery: 80 raw + 30 mL water → 800 (10 cap per raw), 15s.

Takeaway: Raw Fuel Cell efficiency levels out once you own a Medium Refinery. You pay water for inventory efficiency (Medium/Large). When water is scarce, spam Smalls @ Medium for identical raw efficiency and zero water burn.

Troubleshooting & current gotchas

• “Why won’t my bike refuel?”
  1. You’re likely holding raw Fuel Cells instead of a Vehicle Fuel Cell; refine first. 2) Or your Vehicle Fuel Cell is not in your character inventory—move it out of vehicle/base storage and try again. Community threads confirm the personal‑inventory requirement.
• Disappearing items after transitions:
  A recent, acknowledged inventory bug can cause items to vanish during map transitions. The interim developer advice has been to wait a bit after loading a vehicle’s inventory before moving to other sectors—players report “up to ~10 minutes” as a (clumsy) workaround while an official fix is in progress. Until patched, avoid rapid transfer‑and‑travel loops with high‑value goods.
• Buildings/vehicles degrading when idle:
  Structures can degrade if power drops; vehicle parts also degrade when left unsheltered. If you’re refueling for a long trip, give your base breathing room on power and park vehicles under cover to reduce repair downtime.

Practical loadouts for common runs

• Local farming loop (solo sandbike): Carry one Small (plus one spare in base). If you own a Medium Refinery, make Smalls there to save raw fuel and craft time; no need to spend water.
• Deep Desert resource run (two players, buggy): Each player carries one Medium; stash an extra Medium/Large in the buggy cargo if space permits. That gives emergency range without clogging slots (stack size is 1).
• Long‑range ‘thopter contract: One Large is ideal. The 5.0V slot cost is offset by fewer mid‑air refuels and better fuel/V.

Pro tips to never run dry

• Use your Medium Refinery as the “gas station” even for Smalls—it’s more Fuel‑Cell efficient and faster than the Small Refinery recipe.
• Water‑gate your production. If Blood Purifiers/Windtraps are behind, craft Smalls until water catches up; switch to Medium/Large once you have surplus.
• Vendor hop or use the Exchange when you’re time‑boxed. Smalls are commonly sold; grab a few before a long session to avoid crafting downtime.
• Park by the Medium Refinery. Its ability to access vehicles makes moving materials less fiddly—process salvage into fuel while you load the trunk.

Quick FAQ

Q: Can I put raw Fuel Cells straight into my bike?
A: No. Raw Fuel Cells power your base; refine them into Vehicle Fuel Cells for vehicles.

Q: Why does the refuel option say I have no fuel when I clearly do?
A: It’s almost always because your Vehicle Fuel Cell is in vehicle/base storage. Move it to your backpack and try again.

Q: Are Spice‑infused Fuel Cells better vehicle fuel?
A: No—they’re for spice‑powered generators, not vehicles.

Q: Is there a “best” size?
A: It depends. Smalls @ Medium Refinery are cheapest (no water), Medium gives better fuel/V, and Large is best for deep‑range routes. Choose based on your water supply and inventory space.

Parting thought

If you remember nothing else: craft Smalls at a Medium Refinery until your water production is steady, then step up to Medium/Large for carry efficiency—and always refuel from your backpack, not your trunk. That single habit saves most players hours of confusion.