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Volvo 140 conversion to wood gas

29.11.2021

There are people who do crazy things with their cars because they want to stand out or express a personal touch.

And there are people like Niklas Alexandersson, who has a clear idea of how he wants to contribute to the change towards a better world.

Niklas may be a car enthusiast and a typical tinkerer, but at the same time he has become a climate activist through simple reasoning.

His conviction is that it is better to convert existing cars to climate-neutral fuels than to replace old cars with new ones for which further resources have to be consumed first. Keep it simple and stupid! In his opinion, it is best if everyone can repair their own car with simple means and keep it running. No expensive technology, no dependencies on software or the internet. It is better to save energy than to waste energy to create expensive new consumer goods.

People like him who live on the countryside have to make do with local resources, as he says. And if you get stuck, you just ask a neighbour or someone who knows more about it.

This is how he managed to carry out a complete conversion from petrol to wood gas in an old Volvo 140 in his own workshop. The wood grows locally, so there is no need to transport the energy to the consumer.


Already after the Second World War, there were solutions in many places to be able to run vehicles without petrol. Conversion to wood gas was a cheap and easy option.

Niklas explains that during the first major oil crisis in the 1970s, the Swedish government set up its own research department on the subject, which existed until 1996. The purpose was to create substitute solutions in case Sweden lost access to oil and was forced to switch to alternative fuels. In a cooperation with Volvo, a trailer was built with a wood gas unit that could simply be hitched behind the vehicle to convert the engine to run on wood gas. Only the carburettor in the engine compartment had to be converted and connected to a supply line. About 10,000 of these units were produced at the time.

This knowledge has been lost by the manufacturer in the meantime. Instead, they are researching electric drives with batteries.

Niklas is convinced that battery-electric drive cannot be the only solution for the future. He envisions realising more projects with biogas or hydrogen and sharing his knowledge with others.

This is where the internet comes into play for him, so that he can give impulses and share knowledge via his YouTube channel. Through contacts with other enthusiasts around the world, he sees a concrete opportunity to gather and connect experiences from similar projects. His idea is to eventually also pass on his knowledge to others as a consultant for alternative vehicle drives.

For now, another project is on the agenda: converting a Fordson Major tractor to run on wood gas. With the tractor, he and a friend are farming a small piece of land to grow their own vegetables. This is also in line with his philosophy - away from globalised consumption and towards his own regional produce.

Niklas' approach could not fit better with SKANDIX's mission:
Keeping old vehicles running as long as possible!

We thank Niklas for the friendly interview he gave us!

If you want to learn more or plan to get in touch with Niklas, you can find more information on his website, as well as on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.

Images courtesy of Niklas Alexandersson.