SWEDEN DEVELOPS CHARCOALDRIVEN CARS

Evening Star, Issue 23492, 5 February 1940, Page 11

SWEDEN DEVELOPS CHARCOALDRIVEN CARS

The shortage of liquid fuel in Sweden is worse than it is in many other countries, and it has led to considerable development of substitute fuels for car propulsion. Being a land of forests, it has, in the first place, concentrated on obtaining additional motor fuel from wood. From this, charcoal gas is obtained. Long before the war there were in existence in Sweden two well-developed and well-tried systems for the generation of charcoal gas, and recently a generator, involving a number of technical novelties, has been developed by the Volvo works—Sweden’s leading automobile manufacturers. A number of sets ordered and delivered during the months of September and October totalled about 2,500. The problem of applying' such equipment to private ears has been solved by designing a special, neatly shaped trailer running on a single pivoted rear wheel. In general, Swedish charcoal gas generators allow cars to be driven up to 160 miles (Knglish) before refuelling. The power output of the motor is estimated at about 75 per cent, of that obtained by means of liquid fuel. The costs, of course, are much lower than for petrol. The increased demand for charcoal has given rise to new rationalised methods and devices for rapid production of this commodity by simplified methods. Amongst the converts is Prince Gustnf Adolf, eldest son of the Swedish Grown Prince, who has had his car fitted and is satisfied with the changeover.