All-new methanol-powered Geely Emgrand joins taxi fleet in China

MANILA: The latest iteration of the methanol-powered Geely Emgrand has begun service in the taxi fleet of the city of Guiyang in China.

The new model incorporates hybrid technology for the first time. It can run on pure electric energy at low speeds and use both electric and methanol power when needed for a combined output of 264 horsepower. Unlike some models, this Emgrand operates entirely on methanol rather than a combination of methanol and gasoline.

Methanol is one of the "green fuels" that are gaining some traction, and the Geely Group has been making significant investments in it since 2005.

The carmaker has applied green methanol as fuel by taking a comprehensive approach that considers the entire methanol fuel ecosystem, from production using renewable methods to active use cases across China.

Geely's involvement in the manufacturing of "green methanol" dates back to 2015, when they made an investment in Carbon Recycling International (CRI), an Icelandic firm that has been researching on ways to utilize the carbon dioxide produced by the volcanic activity in the island of Reykjavik.

By collecting the carbon dioxide and mixing it with hydrogen, generated through electrolysis at the CRI plant using renewable energy, CRI was able to produce green methanol as a fuel.

Geely was impressed with the success of the project that the company decided to bring the technology back to China and established the country's first carbon dioxide-to-methanol recycling facility in Anyang.

Instead of using volcanic activity to produce carbon dioxide, Geely focused on addressing the more prevalent issue of carbon emissions from heavy industry.

One of the biggest pollutants is the heavy industry, and despite several attempts to lessen the environmental impact of various manufacturing processes, some products are challenging to produce cleanly. Geely uses carbon capture technology to capture waste carbon dioxide from heavy industry before it reaches the atmosphere and convert it into methanol, which burns cleaner than conventional fuels.

Methanol produces 99-percent less sulfur oxides, 60-percent less nitrogen oxides, and 75-percent less particulate matter. The previous-generation methanol-powered Emgrand M100, emits only 46 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

Statistics like this are an important aspect in the Guiyang local government's decision to switch a majority of the city's taxi fleet to methanol-powered vehicles. As of May 2023, more than 90 percent of the city's fleet, including several generations of Emgrand, are powered by methanol.

Photos from Geely

Also read:

Geely Emgrand takes part in green e-methanol fuel and methanol vehicle trial

All-new Geely Emgrand marks brand's entry into PH sedan market

Big car energy: 2022 Geely Emgrand Premium