By Elena Vasquez

Geely Auto Group launched the Xingyao 6 EF, a flexible-fuel hybrid sedan designed to run on methanol, petrol or electricity, with a combined range of about 1,880km.

Under the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle, the sedan has an all-electric range of 230km. Its combined range reaches approximately 1,250km with a charged battery and a full methanol tank, and 1,880km with a charged battery and a full petrol tank.

What can the Xingyao 6 EF run on?

• Fuelling: Methanol and petrol in any blend ratio within one fuel tank.
• Powertrain: Geely's latest methanol hybrid technology, controlled through a methanol concentration sensor.
• Dimensions: 4.8m in length, with a 2,756mm wheelbase.
• Platform: Geely's GEA global intelligent electric architecture.
• Development: Methanol research and development began in 2005.

How does the engine adjust to the fuel?

A methanol concentration sensor tracks electrical-current fluctuations in fuel flow. The engine control unit uses that information to alter injection and ignition timing according to the fuel mixture.

The sequence makes the sensor a direct input for engine management: the sedan changes its combustion settings in response to the blend carried in its single tank.

The 1,250km methanol-assisted total is more than five times the 230km electric-only figure. The petrol-assisted 1,880km total exceeds eight times that distance and stands about 630km above the methanol-assisted result.

Why does Geely call it a mass-production first?

Geely describes the model as the world's “first” mass-production methanol hybrid passenger vehicle. The launch also unveiled its latest methanol hybrid powertrain technology.

Both announcements sit within Geely Auto's multi-energy propulsion strategy, which covers battery-electric, hybrid, hydrogen and methanol technologies.

The company positions the Xingyao 6 EF alongside its electric and conventional hybrid vehicles for long-distance travel and low-temperature operating environments. Methanol therefore joins the group's propulsion portfolio rather than replacing its existing battery-electric and hybrid offerings.

What does Geely's methanol supply chain include?

Geely has built a supply chain spanning methanol production, transport, storage and refuelling infrastructure.

The company has also developed an automotive exhaust carbon-capture system intended to recycle emissions into green methanol. Together, the supply chain and capture system place methanol logistics within the launch, not just the powertrain.

In a company statement, Geely said: “Development of methanol technologies also provides an advantage to Geely Auto Group in providing solutions to utilise sustainable green alcohol fuels including methanol and ethanol used in markets around the world.”

Geely began methanol research and development in 2005. The launch links that research programme to a mass-production vehicle and to infrastructure for producing and dispensing the fuel.

How does the launch fit Geely's wider expansion?

Last month, Geely Auto announced plans to enter the Canadian automotive market, targeting a full commercial launch in 2027. In the same month, the company made its first group-level appearance at the Paris Motor Show, where it presented Geely Auto, Lynk & Co and Zeekr.

At Paris, the group presented a multi-brand portfolio, while its Canadian plans establish a 2027 commercial start date. The methanol-hybrid launch adds a new propulsion choice to those wider market plans.

The Xingyao 6 EF now gives Geely's 2005 methanol research programme a production vehicle, a fuel-supply chain and a place in a broader international expansion.