Li Shufu: Methanol Offers a New Path for Green Energy in Heavy-Duty Transport

At the 2026 High-Level Forum on Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development, Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding Group, stated that methanol, as a green energy source, holds significant application potential in heavy-duty transportation. He noted that methanol offers superior lifecycle economics, greater convenience in use, and better alignment with real-world requirements. Methanol has an energy density roughly ten times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries, while battery-electric vehicles weigh about twice as much as methanol-powered electric vehicles, resulting in a disadvantage in energy consumption. Li Shufu believes that integrating methanol—alongside wind, solar, hydrogen, and ammonia—into China’s green energy system represents a practical and viable technological pathway for the transportation sector.