Methanol-Powered Cars Get Ready to Hit the Road

In an effort to free the US from oil dependence on the Middle East and to reduce atmospheric pollution by automobile exhausts, the US automobile makers are about to take the historic step of commercial production of cars designed to run on methanol. Methanol has a higher octane rating (100) than gasoline (93-97), allows cars to run more efficiently, and offers more lively automobile performance. Some disadvantages of methanol powered cars are problems with cold starts; less energy per gallon of fuel would decrease the driving range of automobiles before refuel ling; production of more aldehydes, which exacerbate ozone and smog production and may be carcinogens as well; and higher costs ($300 to 500 more) than conventional vehicles. The uncertainty of availability of fuel has prompted automobile manufacturers to design current models of automobiles to be flexible fuel vehicles to run on mixtures of gasoline and methanol. Should the demand for methanol fuel increase, the availability would surely rise. The cost of methanol compares favorably with that of gasoline - $1.20 to 1.30 per gallon.