A 1983 Chevy Pickup That Runs on Wood Just Set a Speed Record

While most of us rely on gasoline to get around, one YouTuber’s father has been driving a 1983 Chevrolet pickup for over 100,000 kilometers without a single drop of the stuff. Instead, the truck runs on wood chips. 6 mph (125 kph) during a standing-mile run on a closed airport runway.

That speed, the channel claims, is a record for a wood-powered vehicle. Given how few people are trying to break it, the claim seems reasonable.

The truck’s powertrain is surprisingly simple. A 1972-era 350-cubic-inch V8 sits under the hood, while a large metal cylinder behind the cab burns wood chips to produce wood gas. That gas—a mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen—is cleaned by a filter and regulated by a ball valve before feeding the engine.

The system requires no modifications to the engine itself and uses no secondary fuel to start. 5 pounds of wood per 60 miles.

The wood-gas setup has its quirks. It takes five to ten minutes to get going—you light a piece of newspaper in the gasifier to start the fire—and the filter needs cleaning before each run. Ash and soot must be emptied from a pan below the apparatus. For the speed attempt, the wood chips usually stored in the truck bed were instead carried on a trailer to keep the pickup light.

That’s not practical for daily use, but it’s a clever, carbon-neutral twist on an old technology that reminds us trees are still a pretty handy fuel source.