At the Chinese Geely group, which owns Volvo, among other things, they are working on more than just electric cars. The sister brand runs on alcohol.
Geely, the Chinese owner of Volvo, has unveiled a new car that runs on alcohol. More models are on the way. This new racing car uses neither gasoline nor electricity, but instead methanol as fuel.
This is reported by CarNews China .
Methanol is a type of alcohol that has been used in motorsports for many years. Its high octane rating and cooler combustion allow for increased engine power.
In the event of a fire, methanol is easier to extinguish than gasoline. However, it should be noted that methanol burns with an almost invisible flame. Therefore, it can also be dangerous not to handle the fuel correctly. But this is the case with both gasoline and diesel.
Many racing classes therefore use ethanol, another type of alcohol that is easier to produce sustainably. Ethanol is also found in regular gasoline.
Geely's methanol engine has a thermal efficiency of 48.15 percent at temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius. This means that almost half of the fuel's energy is utilized to power the engine.
The engine, Aurobay-DHE20TDM, has a compression ratio of 15:1 when running on methanol. The regular engine that uses gasoline has a compression ratio of 10.5:1. However, Geely will not say how many horsepower the methanol engine has. At least not yet.
Methanol emits fewer harmful substances than gasoline. Transport and handling are also easier compared to, for example, electricity.
Geely plans to establish a new racing series called Geely Super Cup PRO, where the cars run exclusively on so-called 'green methanol'.
Geely has signed an agreement with a Chinese taxi operator to supply 1,500 methanol cars. The car group already has 20 different methanol models in its model range.
This focus on methanol shows Geely's ambition to explore alternative fuels for the cars of the future. And that it is not exclusively focused on electric cars.
In addition to its use in racing cars and taxis, methanol may also prove to be a relevant alternative to gasoline in passenger cars.
Geely's continued development of methanol technology will likely have an impact on the automotive industry in the coming years. Whether it will be to the same extent as Toyota and BMW are investing in hydrogen , among others, is too early to say.
