A 56-year-old Cuban mechanic in Aguacate has built a car powered by wood coal, gaining local acclaim as the island nation faces severe fuel shortages.
Ingenious Conversion in Aguacate
The 56-year-old mechanic completed all the work in his workshop in Aguacate, a town located approximately 70 km east of Havana. The wood coal powering the car burns in a modified propane tank, sealed with a transformer cover.
Pino constructed a filter from a steel milk jug filled with old clothes. He also installed a 60-liter fuel tank at the rear of the vehicle.
Successful Test Run
Pino tested the converted car on March 4th. During one of the initial tests, the car traveled 85 km, reaching a speed of 70 km/h. Residents of Aguacate have expressed admiration for the solution implemented by the 56-year-old.
Some residents have even asked Pino if he could modify their vehicles in a similar manner.
Local Reactions to the Invention
“It’s incredible. It blew my mind,” stated Yurisbel Fonseca, quoted by Reuters, who stopped his motorcycle to take a closer look and photograph the car. Another Reuters interviewee, Narvis Cruz, called the car “the invention of the year.”
Cuba’s Energy Crisis
The mechanic previously used a motorcycle to build a machine capable of milking three cows simultaneously. He had been considering building a wood coal-powered car for several years.
Pino told Reuters that, in light of the ongoing crisis in Cuba, this is the best solution. The United States has halted deliveries of Venezuelan oil to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba. As of March 13th, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel reported that the country had not received supplies of this crude oil for over three months.
Nationwide Power Outage and Fuel Shortages
On March 16th, Cuban authorities reported a nationwide power grid failure affecting approximately 10 million people. Cuba has a total population of around 11 million.
High gasoline prices are also a significant problem, with gasoline now a rationed commodity in Cuba. On the black market, gasoline prices can reach as high as $8 per liter.
Editorial Note
Edited by Kamila Cieślik.
