Nation's methanol vehicle sector to step up a gear

China unveiled a major guideline on Tuesday to promote wider use of methanol-fueled vehicles after five years of trials, moving the world's largest vehicle market a step forward in commercializing the new energy vehicle.

Industry insiders said the move is part of China's broader efforts to relieve environmental pollution and reduce its dependency on imported petroleum as methanol, a clean fuel that can be made from abundant coal resources in China, is widely seen as an ideal alternative energy.

According to the guideline released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and seven other ministries, China will speed up the application of M100 methanol-fueled vehicles in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and other provinces. It also encouraged such vehicles to be used for government cars, taxis and short-distance buses.