North Korea’s Crazy Car Trend Explained: Burning Trash to Drive Cars?

Today, we are in the midst of a significant transformation. We are transitioning from internal combustion engines, which we have used for over a century, to electricity and hydrogen. This shift is one of the most noteworthy in human history. However, attempts have been made in the past to replace the energy source of automobiles with more efficient alternatives. The current internal combustion engine is a result of these efforts.

Before Karl Benz created the first internal combustion engine car in 1886, cars were powered by steam engines. These power engines, which operate by burning fossil fuels, are hardly used today. However, one country still uses a similar method: North Korea.

The Identity of the Smoke-Belching Trucks
What is a Wood Gas Car?

In photos or videos taken in North Korea, it’s not hard to spot trucks spewing thick smoke as they move. Some might think, “Isn’t something broken?” or “Did the car catch fire?” However, this is an entirely regular operation. These vehicles are wood gas cars.

The operation principle of wood gas cars is similar to that of steam engines, but there is a crucial difference. Both steam engines and wood gas cars burn fuel to move; steam engines burn coal, while coal cars burn, as the name suggests, wood. As long as the material is combustible, it can be used as fuel.

Distinctly Different from Steam Engines
Originated in the Early 1900s

However, the operation method shows a crucial difference. Steam engines use the steam generated by water boiled by burning fuel as kinetic energy. They are classified as external combustion engines because they use an external combustion device. In contrast, wood gas cars are classified as internal combustion engines. They use the gas produced by burning fuel, such as wood, directly as engine fuel. The power engine itself is similar, with only the fuel being different.

As mentioned earlier, wood gas cars were invented in 1901 and played a significant role during both World Wars—their ability to use combustible material as fuel was a significant advantage. According to records, by 1945, approximately 500,000 wood gas cars were in operation in Germany alone. So, why is North Korea the only country in the world where wood gas cars still operate today?

Why Does North Korea Rely on Wood Gas Cars?
Scarcity of Fuel Leads to Burning Trash

Wood gas cars, operating in a somewhat primitive manner, had their fair share of disadvantages. The gas generation varied depending on the fuel type, leading to inconsistent output. The need for a separate gas-trapping device also made them disadvantageous in terms of weight and volume. After World War II, as fuel supply normalized, wood gas cars naturally became extinct and were replaced by gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines.

However, North Korea has no other options, even today. Due to long-term economic sanctions and economic difficulties, fuel shortages are a daily occurrence in North Korea. Even the wood supply is not smooth, leaving no choice but to use fuel from waste wood and the current wood gas cars. However, due to indiscriminate deforestation, forests are becoming barren, and even firewood is scarce. They are burning various kinds of trash to operate vehicles, maximizing the advantages of wood gas cars.