MoMA.org | Interactives | Exhibitions | 1999 | Different Roads


	Methanol (methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol) can be made from natural gas, coal, or wood. Methanol is less flammable than gasoline, and can be cheaply and easily made from natural gas. Methanol engines have 30%-50% fewer toxic and organic emissions than gasoline engines (except for formaldehyde) and are more efficient. Methanol has none of gasoline's carcinogenic ingredients. It is easy to make vehicles that run on gasoline, methanol, or a combination, making for a simple large-scale transition from gasoline to methanol. Methanol is more expensive than gasoline (about $1.57-$2.04 for 1.7 gallons of methanol, equivalent to one gallon of gasoline), although prices are projected to decrease. A methanol vehicle has only 60% of a gasoline vehicle's range. Methanol is also very toxic although safe product designs can limit the danger. Methanol engines emit toxic formaldehyde (although catalytic converters limit this). Pure methanol (M100) burns invisibly, and has trouble starting an engine in cold weather. M85, which is 85% methanol and 15% gasoline, avoids these problems. Methanol was discovered in 1823 by condensing the gases made by burning wood. It has been used since the nineteenth century as a solvent and antifreeze, and in making glue, plastics, paint, and other consumer products. For safety reasons it has been used since 1964 by race cars at the Indianapolis 500. Since the mid-1980s, several major car companies, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, and Volkswagen, have been selling methanol vehicles in the U.S. market. In 1996, California had about 13 thousand methanol cars, and five hundred methanol buses and trucks.