Biodiesel vehicles

yerth10

Every week, we hear news about a new Bio-Diesel plant coming online or a fleet purchase of Bio-Diesel vehicles. If its price goes below $ 2.5 it will make a big push for Diesel.

Even today there is a news about Bio-Diesel plant in www.greencarcongress.com

gagrice

"Almost all of our customers run the highest blend that they can. Seattle is kind of unique in the nation," with private users pressing for the highest blends possible, said Dan Freeman of Dr. Dan's Fuelwerks in Ballard. "We have the highest concentration of individual users in the nation in the Puget Sound area."

"Environmental reasons, political reasons, every reason," said Seattle landscaper Ann Magnano, one of Freeman's customers. "It's about giving farmers the opportunity to keep farming ... helping the planet."

"I'd rather pay American farmers than Saudi kings," said Shoreline resident Jeff Van Horn, who also likes using the cleaner fuel around his kids.

Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia are all using biodiesel for at least some of their public transit and service vehicles.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/249964_gbio28.html

gagrice

In promoting biodiesel - as the EU, the British and US governments and thousands of environmental campaigners do - you might imagine that you are creating a market for old chip fat, or rapeseed oil, or oil from algae grown in desert ponds. In reality you are creating a market for the most destructive crop on earth.

Biodiesel negatives

danashields

I'm told that brand-new ford pickups aren't appropriate for BD use becuase of their unusually high compression rates.

What is the newest Ford pickup that COULD in fact be used for the biodiesel I'm making? I don't want to get something TOO old.

It's costing me about 50 cents a gallon to make my biodiesel, and unfortunately, I'm making it faster than my Mercedes 300D can use it and I need a bigger vehicle to accomodate it.

gagrice

If I were you I would stick with the 7.3 PS from Ford. We have 4 new 6.0 diesels at work in the Arctic. They spend more time in the shop than on the road. Sensors constantly going bad. Catalytic convertors plugging up. Our last 4 Fords were 7.3 PS and never entered the warranty shop. Only oil changes for the 3 year lease. I think 2002 was the last year for the 7.3 Power Stroke. I would check with Bob King at Pacific Biodiesel. He believe he drives a Ford diesel on B100.

http://www.biodiesel.com/

PS
He is the fellow that got Willie started on pushing biodiesel.

gagrice

Good story,
The star at last week's Philadelphia Auto Show wasn't a sports car or an economy car. It was a sports-economy car — one that combines performance and practicality under one hood.

But as CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports in this week's Assignment America, the car that buyers have been waiting decades comes from an unexpected source and runs on soybean bio-diesel fuel to boot.

A car that can go from zero to 60 in four seconds and get more than 50 miles to the gallon would be enough to pique any driver's interest. So who do we have to thank for it. Ford? GM? Toyota? No — just Victor, David, Cheeseborough, Bruce, and Kosi, five kids from the auto shop program at West Philadelphia High School

soy power

gem069

LOL,,,,,,, well as of now, reg gas has past that cost on almost all of the USA stations and surely will rise as summer approaches.

pete55

Whatever happened? I just bought a 2005 Mercedes C320 CDI and I want to use biodiesel in it.

harperb80

I just bought one as well, and a friend of mine who also did said:

"As I understand it I need to have my elastomer (in gas tank) removed and the fuel lines changed. I'm getting the detail behind this and then I'll get the mechanic...."

I'll let you know how it goes for him, and for me too, but it probably will be a week or two until we find out.

--Ben

pete55

Ben - How did it go? I just put in my first biodiesel today (a 75/25 mix for starters).

meyervilla

Honda sells a wonderful diesel engine throughout the world EXCEPT in the US and they have no plans to sell it here. Looks like we're locked into our gasolene fueled vehicles, lack of public transportation and dependence on middle eastern oil. There's no way out! We're screwed!

drewba

Honda is planning on selling diesel models in the US starting as soon as next year:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=121060

toyolla2

The move toward diesels by Honda is seen as a very significant step that may ultimately rewrite the book on diesels, since Honda is widely viewed as a leader in powertrain engineering.

"a leader" ? Er..... come again. Didn't Honda just have its hiny whipped with the IMA hybrids ? And now they are off with their tail between their legs to mess with diesels.

NEW RULE : Honda must be banned from rewriting any more books particularly on Diesels which are working just fine the way they are now thank you very much.

T2

gagrice

I'm not a big Honda fan myself. I do applaud the 2.2L diesel they are selling in the EU. They are outselling Toyota as a result of that switch to diesel in the EU. You are right they are way back in the pack of diesel makers.

gagrice

Good reading for those interested in biodiesel as an alternative energy source.

While a number of bio-feedstock are currently being experimented for biodiesel (and ethanol ) production, algae have emerged as one of the most promising sources especially for biodiesel production, for two main reasons (1) The yields of oil from algae are orders of magnitude higher than those for traditional oilseeds, and (2) Algae can grow in places away from the farmlands & forests, thus minimising the damages caused to the eco- and food chain systems. There is a third interesting reason as well: Algae can be grown in sewages and next to power-plant smokestacks where they digest the pollutants and give us oil!


http://www.oilgae.com/