The three-year project, which is co-funded by the German government, will develop the first passenger cars, based on a Ford Mondeo, to run on environmentally friendly dimethyl ether (DME), and oxymethylene ether (OME1)

Both fuels can be generated from CO2 captured from the air that is combined with wind and sun power, or waste products.

The technology is being investigated in a parallel project together with RWTH Aachen University researching the viability of different DME generation methods, looking at conversion efficiency, estimated fuel prices and infrastructure aspects.

“The CO2 produced by a car powered by DME from renewable sources could be comparable to the amount generated by a marathon runner covering the same distance – but with performance similar to a diesel powered vehicle,” said Werner Willems, technical specialist , Powertrain Combustion Systems, Ford of Europe. “This is a project that could help place vehicles with a significantly reduced carbon dioxide and particulate emissions on the market at affordable costs.”