What are biodiesel cars?
- It is a car whose fuel you can make at home.
- It is because that does not depend on the high price of gasoline for it to be able to work.
- It is a cleaner and more efficient vehicle than normal gasoline or diesel.
- It’s because your friends are going to envy you.
Of course, most people won’t believe it at first. Then they will come up with all sorts of reasons why biodiesel cars are not a good idea “for them.” Well, THEY HEARD, blah, blah, blah. Well that’s cool. They are right, it is not for some people. But if you want to prod them a bit, all you have to do is ask them a simple question;
How much do you pay per month for fuel?
Notice how the conversation quickly loses steam after that. Or if they are uncompromising, remind them of these facts about biodiesel cars … (From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory document “Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines”
78.3% reduction in greenhouse gases
55.4% reduction in particulate emissions (black cloud of soot)
56.3% reduction in hydrocarbons
80-90% reduction in mutagenicity (carcinogens)
100% sulfur reduction (a major component of acid rain.
Yes, it is entirely possible to remove Exxon Mobil from your daily commute. More and more people are using biodiesel cars. Even more people will do it in the future. Of course, you will need a diesel car (or truck). Many companies make them and more will do so in the future. Mercedes is one, (come on, be honest. Wouldn’t you really like to have an old Mercedes to drive around town?) Volkswagen is another. Jeep also comes out with a new “Liberty” model already modified for biodiesel. With very little (or no) modifications these cars will perform better, last longer, and trust me, they will smell a lot better.
You can easily prepare a tank for the weekend in the garage with a biodiesel kit or the homemade biodiesel processor you built from the website pages below and wander around town for the rest of the week at a biodiesel car whose exhaust smells like fresh popcorn! In which case no conversion is necessary.
So let’s get straight to question number one …
“Is biodiesel conversion possible for my car / truck …?”
If you are thinking of using and / or preparing your own biodiesel, no conversion is necessary. You can run your car or truck on biodiesel without hassle and without the need for conversion. “Conversion” refers to running your car / truck on pure vegetable oil (SVO). You got it right, put some canola in the tank and voila. Many people are doing just that.
“How can I convert to biodiesel?”
Conversion is a matter of understanding the principles involved, the weaknesses of SVO, and planning around them. You need two fuel tanks for gasoline, one with diesel and the other with biodiesel. Run the engine on diesel, then when it’s hot, switch to SVO. The website below contains “do it yourself” plans.
“What are the disadvantages of converting biodiesel?
Like all things in life, there is a downside. For one thing, depending on where you live, in colder climates, the engine and / or fuel may need to be warmed up. On the other hand, if you are using waste vegetable oil, there is time involved in filtering the oil, etc. Lastly, there will be the expense of installing your own conversion kit or purchasing a kit and having a mechanic do it.
For more information on all aspects of biodiesel cars, visit the website below.