Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., China’s largest private automaker, started testing three methanol-powered vehicles in Demark this week with a goal of selling the vehicles in European markets.
The three models, two Geely-badged Emgrand compact sedans and one Farizon-brand M100 heavy-duty truck, will undergo testing for 15 months.
The methanol vehicles have already been tested and passed China’s State VI emissions standards which are on par with Euro 6 emission rules. They can cut CO2 emissions 70 percent compared to gasoline models, Geely said.
The methanol-powered Emgrand compact sedan was previously tested in Iceland where it achieved emissions of 46g of CO2 per kilometer, according to Geely.
Geely plans to certify the methanol vehicles in the European Union and promote them in other European countries.
The Chinese automaker said it has invested more than 3 billion yuan ($473 million) to develop methanol vehicles in the past 17 years, and has launched more than 20 methanol vehicles in China.
