Wood powered cars

[lupercal]

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/wood-gas-cars.html

 

 

During the Second World War, almost every motorised vehicle in continental Europe was converted to use firewood. Wood gas cars (also known as producer gas cars) are a not-so-elegant but surprisingly efficient and ecological alternative to their petrol (gasoline) cousins, whilst their range is comparable to that of electric cars.

 

Rising fuel prices and global warming have caused renewed interest in this almost-forgotten technology: worldwide, dozens of handymen drive around in their home-made woodmobiles.

 

 

Some of the more recent research was done by Volvo. If wood is the new petrol then Sweden will be rich.

[Schaublin]

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/wood-gas-cars.html

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the more recent research was done by Volvo. If wood is the new petrol then Sweden will be rich.

 

I read this article a few weeks back - lowtechmagazine is a very good source of information. Wood gasification would quickly deforest the world if it were taken up in anger. It was a short term solution during WW2 but even then, significant de-forestation took part in France.

[lupercal]

I read this article a few weeks back - lowtechmagazine is a very good source of information. Wood gasification would quickly deforest the world if it were taken up in anger. It was a short term solution during WW2 but even then, significant de-forestation took part in France.

 

Do you think it could have been for military reasons.

[Schaublin]

Do you think it could have been for military reasons.

 

Some of was but it seems that most de-forestation was due to producer gas production. The whole thing depresses me as it seems that in order to run private cars, people are prepared to exhaust any resource rather than change their behaviour - reminds me of Easter Island.