Tesla, a name that speaks electric and nothing else beyond that. The car brand has reached an extent that it is perceived as the king of EVs. However, what if I told you that the same EV enthusiast brand is running on something else? Have we been lied to? Well, we are about to find out exactly what is happening. By the way, Tesla does not run only on electric batteries; it is not a rumour but a real thing that has been discovered. The world is going electric, and Tesla was the first one to raise the bar, and other automakers followed. Therefore, to see this might feel as if the clean energy or fuel concept is all a disruption.
Do not get it twisted; Tesla is still an electric vehicle
Perhaps you are now thinking the tech billionaire Elon Musk and Tesla’s CEO have changed their minds, but Tesla is not taking a break from EVs; it is still regarded as one, but it happened that engineers and the Tesla team decided to think outside the box and could provide an alternative instead of focusing on one type of clean fuel resource. This is changing conversations about sustainability for those who look up to Tesla.
A common reason for automakers to switch to fuel types like electric batteries is because of the years and decades where human intervention has just damaged the earth and its environment through fossil fuels such as oil, gas, or coal, which has led to an increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere and altered weather patterns and climates. By doing so, they believe we can fix the environment and go green. You will not believe what fuel it runs on.
A new concept for Tesla: A startling development in fuel-powered mobility’s future
A Tesla Model Y with a combustion engine put in the front and a smaller 17.3 kWh battery pack added in place of the original battery pack? On closer examination, anything that initially seems ludicrous may make sense, and these new kinds of fuels are surprising. Based in Lustenau in the westernmost district of Austria, Vorarlberg, the automobile engineering firm Obrist is searching for ways to both prevent and reverse climate change.
Here is the big reveal: Tesla is running on an electricity-free fuel called methanol and was created by the same company mentioned, Obrist. The fuel is guaranteed to have low emissions because it is made from the world’s current favourite fuel resource, hydrogen. In case you missed it, hydrogen only emits water vapour when burnt, so now you get the idea. Is it common in the world of Tesla? As of now, yes.
Important characteristics of the methanol-powered Tesla:
- The fuel is renewable and clean because it is made from methanol and hydrogen.
- We can expect emissions to be reduced by 85%.
- Hydrogen is known to allow cars to travel longer distances without refuelling now and then.
- The battery is only 17.3 kWh — far smaller than standard Teslas.
- Unlike batteries that need to warm up for a few minutes, Tesla owners can drive right away.
Is this a viable substitute for complete EVs? Auto experts are curious
Tesla does not have a formal involvement in this project, but some effects come with it. For example, it might create an idea that perhaps electric fuel is not as efficient as it has been hailed to be as a sustainable solution. For years, methanol and hydrogen have been disregarded to a certain extent because of how expensive they are and the storage situation in hydrogen’s case. Prof. Robert Schlögl, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and Carbon2Chem project coordinator, expressed that thorough research needs to be made to protect our climate from toxic fuels.
Carlos is an engineer with strong expertise in technical and industrial topics. He previously worked at international companies such as Siemens and speaks Spanish, German, English, and Italian.
