Geely has unveiled a production sedan that can run on methanol, petrol or electric power, with both fuels able to share the same tank. The Xingyao 6 EF, also called the Galaxy Starshine 6 EF, is a four-door model sized close to a Toyota Camry and is described by Geely as the world's first production methanol hybrid.
The car is a plug-in hybrid rather than a pure electric vehicle, pairing a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor. Geely has not announced whether it will be sold in Australia.
Two fuel tanks in one, and a long claimed range
Geely says the sedan accepts any blend of methanol and petrol, including running on 100 per cent methanol or 100 per cent petrol. On a tank of methanol plus a full battery charge, the company quotes a combined range of up to 1250km on the CLTC test cycle; switching to petrol extends that figure to 1880km.
Those numbers come from China's CLTC cycle, which is generally more generous than the WLTP or EPA procedures used in other markets, so they are not directly comparable with range figures quoted for cars sold in Australia or Europe.
Electric-only range depends on the battery fitted. The entry-level version uses a 17kWh lithium iron phosphate pack for a claimed 130km of CLTC electric running, while the two higher grades carry a 28.3kWh LFP pack and claim 230km.
Powertrain and cold-weather engineering
The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder producing 93kW and 170Nm, driving the front axle alongside a 140kW/240Nm electric motor. Geely claims the engine was designed specifically for methanol and achieves 48.15 per cent thermal efficiency, which it says is the highest of any mass-produced methanol engine.
Geely also says the car has been engineered for cold starts at temperatures approaching minus 40 degrees Celsius, aimed at the range loss electric vehicles suffer in northern China's winters. In Geely's words, the Xingyao 6 is positioned not as a replacement for electric or conventional hybrid models but as a complementary solution for cold-climate and long-distance driving.
That framing is the interesting part. Methanol sidesteps the charging infrastructure problem in regions where batteries struggle in winter, but it depends on fuel supply, and methanol is not commonly sold at Australian service stations, though it is used in motorsport for its high octane rating.
Platform links to cars Australia already gets
The Xingyao 6 EF uses Geely's GEA global intelligent electric architecture, the same platform underpinning the EX2 electric hatchback and EX5 mid-size electric SUV currently sold in Australia. It also shares its underpinnings with the Emgrand L EM-i petrol plug-in hybrid, which has been confirmed for Australia with arrival scheduled in the first half of 2027.
Geely Australia has not announced plans to bring the methanol sedan here, so the Emgrand L EM-i remains the confirmed PHEV route into the brand's local line-up for now. Pricing, final specification and market rollout beyond China have not been announced.
