Geely Auto Group’s (Geely Auto) pure methanol vehicles will be taking to Icelandic roads following their unveiling earlier today at a methanol engine symposium organized by Carbon Recycling International (CRI) in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland.
Initially six Emgrand EC7 methanol vehicles, which utilize a pure methanol 1.8L engine developed by Geely Auto, will enter a fleet trial in Iceland. The vehicles have been previously tried and tested throughout China in various fleets in Shanghai City, Shanxi and Guizhou provinces.
The move follows an agreement signed last July by Geely Auto’s parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to invest a total of US $45.5million in CRI. The investment consisted of an initial investment and additional purchases of CRI equity over a three-year period, which will allow Zhejiang Geely Group to become a major shareholder of CRI and gain representation on the company’s Board of Directors.
CRI will use the EC7s to carry out further testing of methanol vehicles and fuels in Iceland to further explore methanol fuel technologies. The vehicles will operate on ‘liquid electricity’ from CRI’s pioneering power-to-methanol process. Renewable methanol produced by CRI’s process is sold in Europe underthe registered brand name ‘Vulcanol’.
Geely Auto Group President and CEO Mr An Conghui commented: “We’re excited to see our methanol vehicles move from China to an international platform. By working directly with a fuel provider such as CRI we will be able to further expand our understanding of methanol in different climes and driving conditions.”
Mr. KC-Tran,CEO of CRI, said: “Our cooperation with Geely is transitioning from an investor relationship into a wider partnership; we welcome Geely’s vehicles into this test pilot program and we are looking forward to sharing the results of our findings. This will give researchers, policy makers and others a much needed insight into the untapped possibilities of methanol as sustainable transport fuel.”
CRI was founded in 2006 in Reykjavik, Iceland and has quickly become the world leader in developing technology to produce renewable methanol fuel from cleanenergy and recycled CO2 emissions. It operates the world’s first renewable power-to-methanol plant near Reykjavik.
Geely Auto became the first auto manufacturer in China to conduct research and development into methanol vehicle solutions in 2005. The company is proactively working with partners internationally and domestically to expand the use of methanol-fuelled vehicles and has already deployed fleets of methanol-fuelled taxis in cities all over the country and has since invested significant resources in the development and promotion of methanol-fuelled engines and vehicles over a long period and has already made progress with this technology in China.
