Methanol has been extensively used in racing since the early 1920s. Blends containing methanol and benzene were often used in Grand Prix cars, especially as supercharging was developed as a tool to extract maximum performance from a given engine swept volume (and charge cooling was not widely used). Among others, Alfa Romeo and Bugatti used such mixtures in their pre-war Grand Prix cars.1 Aviation also represented an arena where methanol was used for its benefits in terms of octane number and latent heat, but only on take-off, and to an extent when maximum power was required. Further research suggested that methanol is not a suitable fuel for aviation. It can, however, be a pre-stage product to produce renewable aviation fuels through the Power-to-Liquids (PtL) pathway. In the 1980s and 1990s, California launched M85 fuel trial, driven primarily by air quality considerations. Methanol caused significantly lower unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) and NOX emissions than typical gasolines in use at the time. During that time, 15,000 M85- gasoline flex-fuel vehicles, ranging from light-duty to buses and trucks, were sold and operated in California. The trial was successful, and furthermore, the toxicity of methanol was not found to be an issue. However, methanol did not become a substantial fuel in the United States (U.S.) because of its introduction in a period of rapidly falling petroleum prices, which eliminated the economic incentive. Methanol was afterwards displaced by ethanol of choice in gasoline blends. Nevertheless, these programs have demonstrated that methanol is a viable transportation fuel. The interest in methanol as a fuel is currently picking up also in other regions, for example in China. The strongest driver currently seems to be in the marine sector. It is also increasingly being used as a blend component, added to gasoline together with ethanol. This is demonstrated in Israel, Australia and in the Junior World Rally Championship which holds races across Europe5. In Italy, ENI and FCA have partnered to develop a new fuel called A20, with 15 % vol. methanol and 5 % vol. ethanol. Initial tests performed with the ENI fleet have proven successful.

The World-Wide Fuel Charter, 6th Edition, published in October 2019, says that the use of methanol is only acceptable if specified by applicable standards (e.g., maximum 3 % v/v methanol in standard EN 228), Consumed in vehicles compatible with its use stated in the owner's manual. The 5th edition of the World-Wide Fuel Charter from 2013 stated that methanol was not permitted. In the United States, the Octamix waiver allows for a methanol content of 5 % vol. In addition to the volume % limitations (5 vol. % max for methanol and 2.5 vol% min for co-solvents) and approved corrosion inhibiter, the overall blending restriction is the oxygen content, which should not exceed 3.7 weight %. The co-solvents may include one or mixture of ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, heptanol and/or octanol provided.

According to the U.S. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D4814 – 19 Standard Specification for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel, maximum methanol content in gasoline is set at 0.3 % vol. In the US there is a specific standard for methanol blends (M51–M85) for methanol-capable automotive SI engines, ASTM D5797-18. In the European Union, according to the standard EN 228:2012 + A1:2017, Automotive fuels – Unleaded petrol – Requirements and test methods, published in June 2017, the methanol limit is allowed up to 3 % vol. in both gasoline grades – E5 (gasoline blended with maximum 5 % vol. of ethanol) and E10 (gasoline blended with maximum 10 % vol. of ethanol).