Wood Gasification is the process of heating wood in a low oxygen environment and capturing the gas which can essentially be used as a biopropane that can be used to generate electricity or run cars.
rocket stoves also work by converting the wood directly into wood gas and burning that in a secondary combustion. i am annoyed that no one has made any rocket stove power generator. all the permaculture people are too anti-technology to push for this obvious use of the technology
Cool site that show's off wood gas vehicles that histortically existed:
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/prodcar/prodcar.htm#2