The carbon-neutral Lotus position

Lotus is hardly a big feature on the American automotive landscape. Those who know the name rightly associate it with lightweight sports cars. But this comparatively little company from the east of England is working on something that might have major repercussions on this west coast and beyond.

The car is the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel. It looks like the kind of thing Lotus has carved its sporty niche with. Indeed, it can run to 60 mph in just under four seconds before reaching a maximum speed of 158 mph. But it does so, as its name suggests, on a mixture of fuels: gasoline, bio-ethanol and methanol.

The first two we know about; the third is intriguing. Methanol, an alcohol, is already a proven fuel for combustion engines. And it can be made synthetically from carbon dioxide taken from the atmosphere. Which could mean sustainable, carbon-neutral power. And the knowledge Lotus has gained from making light cars for fun could translate to this scenario — less weight means less energy required to move it.

As opposed to something like hydrogen, liquid methanol can be stored and dispensed easily. It’s also fine for use with forced induction. Engines using this system wouldn’t be so different from the ones in our cars today, so making the switch should be pretty simple.

There’s still some way to go, though. The process of using a mixture of fuels is tricky. Governments and commerce also have to think about investing in a supply infrastructure, which Lotus reckons could take 15 to 20 years. But if this is the future of motoring — bring it on.

— Colin Ryan

Photo: Group Lotus

Comments

[Arnel]

yes...methanol indeed is a performance fuel...had a high octane rating...we used it when we drag raced way back in the 80's in the philippines...aviation fuel also used way back then did not come close in octane rating...the only thing is that it is derived from sort of wood alcohol and was toxic to both skin and lungs... and the fumes were irritating...the carburetor also had to undergo modifications in jetting...after races the regular jets were reinstalled and the engine flushed by running regular fuel because methanol caused condensation which could lead to corrosion...

[Chuck Fry]

Methanol has a long history in the US as a racing fuel, notably at Indianapolis, in traditional short-track oval racing, and drag racing. Its biggest disadvantage is that it has less than half the energy density of gasoline and maybe 2/3 that of ethanol. But it is definitely well suited to high compression and forced aspiration. I'm happy to see it being considered as a "green" alternative fuel.