Wood Gasifier Cars - A Technology left behind

Beyond these drawbacks, the operation of a wood gasifier needed something else: patience. It took a few minutes to move the car or truck at all. At first, charcoal had to be ignited in the generator, a stove-like appendage, before wood could be added to the mass of embers. The gas mixture that formed was cooled down and filtered on its way to the engine. And after the trip, the driver had to spend time cleaning the generator and regularly maintain the system. On relatively long trips, it had to be checked regularly as well.

The Wood Gasifier: An Emergency Solution

Besides, this type of powertrain posed hazards if handled improperly. For example, the gas mixture might end up with a high proportion of carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that could lead to poisoning in enclosed spaces such as garages. The generator, where temperatures climbed hundreds of degrees, had to be handled with care, especially during the “refueling” with firewood. There were good reasons to require separate driver’s licenses for drivers of gasifier-powered vehicles, at least as far as the German government was concerned. Today it is just tinkerers and a few diehards in heavily forested locations in Canada and Scandinavia who draw inspiration from wood gasification. In any case, it isn’t a viable option as a powertrain today. From a historical standpoint, it was functional and certainly a high-performing propulsion system, even if it was purely an emergency solution.