Wood in the tank

During the Second World War petrol was strictly rationed. Because of the significant impact the rationing had on Migros’ mobile sales concept, the company refitted many of the vans to run on wood or methane.

During the Second World War, Switzerland experiences a dramatic fuel shortage. Petrol is strictly rationed as soon as war starts, many private cars are requisitioned by the government and private traffic comes to a complete standstill.
The Migros, with its business model of the mobile shop, is even more affected by the petrol rationing than other retailers. In order to maintain its distribution network, Migros converts a significant portion of its fleet to alternative energy. Migros Cooperative Zurich alone converts 45 of its 56 sales vans to wood gasification systems during the war. The conversion entails building generators – carburettors or gas generators – on the outside of the vehicle body. Similar to the way in which charcoal is produced, the generators are filled with fuel and gently heated, creating a gas that is directed to the motor for burning.
The wood gasification motors have two significant shortcomings: they require an enormous amount of hardwood in small pieces – three kilos of wood for a performance equivalent to that of one litre of petrol. Additionally, the motors get very dirty very quickly, making their maintenance extremely expensive. Because of these disadvantages, Migros also uses methane gas generators and gives up on the wood gasification method as soon as the war ends.