Which is the Best
Biodiesel Vehicle for Your Needs?

Diesel vehicles ARE biodiesel vehicles. Any vehicle with a diesel engine can run on biodiesel. Rudolph Diesel made this engine to run on a wide variety of fuels. He ran it on peanut oil at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris! The problem with running it on straight vegetable oil is the high gel point. Biodiesel has a lower gel point, and petrodiesel's is lower still. To remedy the gelling problem in cooler weather, biodiesel can be blended with petrodiesel, in any amount - which will result in varying gel points.

Oh, and by the way... this site is under construction. There will eventually be separate pages for each of the main topics with more detailed discussions :)


Diesel Cars:

• A ‘super-car’ is basically a car with brute horsepower and torque, high mpg, low emissions and a top speed of 200 or more... such as Jay Leno’s EcoJet, and the Trident Iceni.

• Hybrid – Diesel cars that run on electricity and diesel. Check out the concept and completed cars… Toyota’s

Photograph taken by Rojer (License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

biodiesel hybrid Prius, Chevrolet Hybrid biodiesel Equinox, Enigma, Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Nissan Diesel.

• And the ‘regular cars’… the VW Jetta TDI (voted 2009 green car of the year), The Mercedes mode of transportation.. (older model engines are extremely tolerant. They are great for homemade biodiesel that may not be up to standards).

Looking for a Great Diesel truck?

• Cummins now approves use of B20 in many of its engines.

• Datsun's have great gas mileage and lots of room under the hood in case you want to add fuel line heaters.


A motorcycle as Your Biodiesel Vehicle?

• A diesel Harley won the Green Prix MPG award.

• Royal Enfield used to produce diesel-powered motorbikes - you may be able to find a used one.

• The Twin ThunderStar 1200 TDI by Dutch Star is a ‘super-bike’.

• The M1030M1 was designed for military use, based off the Kawasaki KLR650.

• Or you could just retrofit your motorcycle with a diesel engine.


Diesel boats:

• Earthrace - the 'biodiesel vehicle of the seas' , in June 2008 just broke the world record for circling the earth.


Conversion?

• A diesel engine does not need to be converted to run on biodiesel.

• The several thousand dollar conversion kits you can buy are kits that will heat the fuel line, that’s all. Biodiesel has a higher gel point than petrol diesel, but a fuel line heater is not the only way to solve this problem. Other modes to make your transportation reliable in cold weather is discussed in greater detail on the ‘Conversion’ page (soon to come).


Conclusion:

There are not as many options when looking for a biodiesel vehicle as there are for other fuel types. With the increasing interest and knowledge of biodiesel, though, there are bound to be many more diesel vehicles popping up in the coming years. It is encouraging as more and more vehicle manufacturers approve of the use of biodiesel in their vehicles.

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