The Chinese government will promote the use of cars running on methanol fuel in some areas and offer policy support to improve the manufacturing of vehicles, methanol fuel and other areas, read an interagency guideline released on Tuesday.
The move represents a latest effort by the Chinese government to pursue new alternative energies for the world's largest car market in a more environmentally friendly development path.
The government will enhance policy guidance and services to improve technology for making methanol-fueled cars, including developing new models and engines for methanol cars, said the guideline, which was jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and seven other agencies.
Policy support will also be offered to efforts to improve efficiency in producing methanol fuel and making equipment that absorbs carbon dioxide emissions, the guideline said, adding that certain areas should build more methanol fuel stations.
To promote the use of methanol-fueled cars, China will increase the number of methanol cars in places such as North China's Shanxi Province and Southwest China's Guizhou Province. The use of methanol cars for official trips, rental services and other areas will be encouraged.
"This is all part of the country's broad strategy to diversify its fuel sources and seek clean energy," Zeng Zhiling, an analyst at Shanghai-based consultancy LMC Automotives, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Both methanol and ethanol are alternative fuels for vehicles that are considered to be cleaner and more sustainable alternates to petroleum-based fuels, Zeng said.
