Strikingly, the recent participation of Tesla in methanol-fueled vehicles has revived the interest in exploring other options for a fuel system different from hydrogen and electrical power. Working with the Austrian engineering company Obrist, Tesla presented a Model Y model, including a small battery and a methanol engine, dubbed the “HyperHybrid.”
This innovative prototype suggests a future of carbon-negative transport that does not rely on hydrogen, a fuel that Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has called ‘staggeringly dumb.’
The Methanol Revolution: How a Tesla became a HyperHybrid model and what makes it unique
Obrist’s modified Tesla Model Y is powered by a dual system: a reduced battery and a methanol engine. With a 17.3 kWh battery instead of Tesla’s standard large-capacity battery, this hybrid configuration also decreases vehicle mass and environmental impact.
The methanol engine offers extra oomph and vibration and is easily regulated to speed, ensuring the car can seamlessly toggle between battery and methanol. Obrist’s goal? A carbon-negative footprint – taking out of the air more CO2 than the vehicle releases, thanks to methanol produced from captured atmospheric CO2.
Tesla’s consideration of methanol is consistent with Musk’s criticism of hydrogen fuel cells from the past. Dubbed “fool cells” by Musk, hydrogen technology has its limitations: It is expensive, time-consuming and relies on structures that are not common in most organizations.
However, methanol can utilize existing facilities like fuel stations and transport channels, making it more reasonable to use as fuel. Obrist’s concept of producing methanol from CO2 capture also improves this option so that we have a fuel cycle that avoids emissions and removes CO2 from the atmosphere.
How solar-powered CO2 capture plants could revolutionize methanol production
Another shift, envisioned by Obrist, in the field of methanol production can turn into a complete game changer in combating climate change. In his work, Obrist proposes installing massive solar-powered CO2 capture plants in regions with abundant solar power, such as the Sahara, and using the sun to break water into hydrogen and CO2 in the atmosphere to produce methanol.
While other methods, such as CCS, confine the CO2 to the ground, Obrist transforms it into a practical, portable, and combustible form. According to Obrist, this cycle feeds vehicles, sequesters, and removes approximately 10% of CO2, making it a climate-positive vehicle.
Another central point favoring methanol is its possibility of using the existing pipelines for fuel transportation. The work above shows that methanol as a liquid fuel can be easily transported and stored in the current pipeline and fueling station. This will make a transition to carbon-neutral fuels easier without necessarily having to embark on the construction of new networks.
Also, methanol is easy to handle, and drivers will not face any difference when using the product compared to gasoline, making it easier to market globally. When Obrist starts pilot tests, the possibility of methanol as a scalable, green fuel candidate also looks quite viable.
A new direction for the future of sustainable mobility: The vision of a carbon-negative automotive industry
This shift towards methanol is a new transition toward a sustainable automotive sector. Thus, the creation of Obrist and Tesla is evidence of increasing concern for practical approaches that can help decrease greenhouse gases without a high cost and additional complication compared to hydrogen and battery systems.
If successful, methanol could be the building block of the carbon-negative economy, supporting the international targets on CO2 emissions and climate change adaptation. Tesla’s “HyperHybrid” is not only a new technology but a new direction towards the further evolution of a green revolution in the automotive industry. The more Tesla and Obrist extend this and push this technology, methanol could be the fuel that leads to a sustainable world, to a world where each kilometer brings us closer to better air quality.