December 27th, 2009 | 
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If it’s a diesel, it’s an alt fuel vehicle by default. Biodiesel blends can be used in any diesel engine; however, it’s important to use the blends in accordance with the manufacturers specs. With more and more clean diesels coming on line, keep your eyes peeled for those ULSD pumps too. With fueling stations in all 50 states, it’s getting easier and easier for diesels to go cleaner and greener.
Biodiesel is a non-toxic and biodegradable fuel that is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil, animal fats or tall oil (a by-product from pulp and paper processing). Biodiesel is produced from these feedstocks through a process called transesterification, by reacting the oil with an alcohol (usually methanol, although ethanol can also be used) and a catalyst (such as sodium hydroxide). The resulting chemical reaction produces glycerine and an ester called biodiesel. The majority of biodiesel is produced by this method.
Compared with conventional diesel, biodiesel combusts better with a higher cetane rating and produces fewer life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) which contribute to climate change.
Biodiesel blends, a mixture of petroleum diesel and biodiesel, can be used in any diesel engine. As biodiesel can be blended with diesel in any concentration, the blend level depends on economics, availability, the desired emissions level, material compatibility and combustion characteristics.
An increasing number of Original Equipment Manufacturers are endorsing the use of lower biodiesel blends, e.g, 5% in their engines. Some manufacturers now extend warranty coverage for new diesel powered vehicles to use lower blends of biodiesel, provided the fuel meets applicable standards. Some manufacturers also provide vehicles pre-filled with biodiesel blends.
In colder climates, biodiesel tends to lose viscosity, particularly at higher blend levels. To counter this effect, changes to the feedstock source or additives may be needed to address the cold flow properties of this fuel. Research and testing is underway to reduce biodiesel production costs and address cold weather problems.
Biodiesel is considerably less flammable than petroleum diesel, which burns at 50 C (120 F). Pure biodiesel (B-100) does not ignite until 150 C (300 F). The flashpoint (the temperature at which it will ignite when exposed to a spark or flame) of a biodiesel blend falls somewhere between these temperatures, depending on the mixture.
Because biodiesel is a mild solvent it is important to wipe up spills and dispose of rags safely. Biodiesel may deface some paints if left on painted surfaces for a long time.
Hybrids are vehicles of mixed composition basically, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Commonly powered by a gasoline engine that generates its own electricity and stores it in an onboard battery, hybrids are a popular choice for awesome fuel economy and squeaky clean emissions.
Pure electrics offer zero emissions and plug directly into a standard AC outlet–while their range is limited, there are a selection of good choices available.
If it’s a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) it can subsist on a diet of E85, gasoline or any percentage of the two. E85 is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and burns cleaner than gasoline, contributing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.One of the cleanest burning fuels, natural gas is a common retrofit and fleet alternative fuel.
Although there are over 5 million vehicles worldwide powered by natural and compressed gas, in the United States there’s currently only one production vehicle available that comes ready to fuel up at any CNG station–but that’s not the only way to power up with CNG.
Also known as liquefied propane gas (LPG), propane powers over 10 million vehicles worldwide, with 270,000 of them on the roadways of America. Find out if it’s the fuel of choice for your set of wheels.
There are basically two ways to use hydrogen to power a vehicle burning it in an engine or using it as an energy carrier for a fuel cell. While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are in various states of development, there are a few that have actually hit the roads.
Watch the video related to Biodiesel
A quick look into small scale biodiesel processors made in the USA. For those interested in making quality biodiesel in the shop, at the farm or home.
Help answer the question about Biodiesel
What manufactured cars run off of biodiesel or ethanol?I am looking to buy a car that runs off of biodiesel and ethanol, but I'm having problems finding what cars are out there. I want them made this year and not personally converted, manufactured that way. Can anyone give me a list of what manufactured cars run off of one or the other alternative fuel listed?
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Posted in Biodiesel Information | 
Tags: best vehicles for biodiesel, Biodiesel, Climate Change, crucible, def, diesel, fastest, land, motorcycle, oakland, usu, worlds
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Electric. And I will make a case below for why this is the closest to reality, best for the environment, and the most affordable technology.
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First of all, electric cars are available RIGHT NOW. Look at the links on this page, you can buy a freeway-capable EV for as little as $5000:
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http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car/
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Also on the above page, you can read about how much cheaper (1 cent per mile) electric is than gasoline (10 to 15 cents/mile.) No other alt-fuel option can beat this operating cost.
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There are also exciting new-tech electric cars coming out this year, like the Phoenix:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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This car solves all the problems: it gets up to 250 miles/charge, goes 95mph with 5 passengers plus cargo, charges in only TEN MINUTES, and has a battery pack that lasts over 200,000 miles.
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These cars are best for the environment because they emit nothing from the tailpipe. It's true that power plants emit pollution, but the amount of overall pollution is only a fraction of what gasoline cars produce. (Due to the better efficiency of power generation, energy delivery, and utilization by the EV. Plus the fact that much electricity is now made from clean sources.) Charging your EV from solar panels on your garage would make it a true zero-emissions vehicle with an operating cost close to zero as well.
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david you have no clue extensive tests have been run on running veggy oil and guess what… it runs just as good as diesel,will not harm the engine, runs cleaner, and can be had for free from local resturants, just needs filtered.
natural gas is too expensive, there is an article floting around somewhere how the prius uses nickle in their batteries which is mined in canada thus actually harming the enviroment. go with the v dub diesel and convert it to veggie oil.
Diesel -(type 2) Used mainly in trucks and other heavy duty equipment, but now being used in cars and trucks. Has a higher BTU rating and can produce more power per unit. Currently there is more technology for clean burning diesel then gas and it does give better mpg. Most people don't like diesel because of the louder engine and smell, but technology is allowing for quieter cleaner diesel engines.
Bio-Diesel – Simply made from soybeans or other natural source. Has been proven to burn cleaner. People can actually create diesel from fryer grease found at most restaurants. The process involves using lye to break down the fats and separating the fuel from it. I have seen these kits go for $2-3k, but it allows the user to produce fuel for as low as 70 cents a gallon. Bio-Diesel can be used in Diesel engines.
E-85 – Ethanol – In a nut shell, gas made from corn. Has been proven though not to give the fuel mileage of regular fuel.
Nitromethane – Used in drag cars, etc.
Propane – Alot of cars can be converted to propane driven, but there is not a great cost savings.
Kerosene – Used in most jet engines(not absolutely for sure, know an engineer that works for Boeing), not for sure about cars.
Hydrogen Cell cars – converts Hydrogen in water + electrical energy. Supposed to be the fuel of the future, but currently requires a lot of energy to produce the hydrogen from electrolysis(running a current through water and producing hydrogen gas)
Your request is OK , but it is very long to be answered .
You've more or less got a handle on it, but the biodiesel, ethanol etc are bogus and pipe-dreams.
Hydrogen might someday pan out if they can find a cheap catalyst and then develop the production and distribution channels around geothermal venting systems – like Iceland is doing.
Practically it will probably break down like this. We'll probably go mostly nuclear in the short term in the major metro areas and then use wind or solar to keep outlying areas /states going.
At some point oil's cost vs. wind or solar will become even and then – why import oil and gas when you have large windy plain or open desert like in Kansas or Arizona, and also have relatively low energy intensity/usage.
Eventually I suspect if the Middle East continues to spiral into a religious/political fuzzball, or there is another significant terrorist event some folks will be motivated to get Fusion / ITER funded and online faster than anticipated.
Basically the Middle-East is on borrowed time of about 10-15 years no matter what.
If the worst occurs, you can be sure that the US will vigorously and probably secretly fund another ITER in cooperation with other energy dependent states as well as other energy production programs despite whatever our dear friends in the Middle-East say afterwards.
At this point, from their perspective the Middle East/Israel/Saudi Arabia etc, is seriously screwed and need to get their stuff in gear because they'll be unable to command any attention from the rest of the world or they'll alternatively become even more dangerous to the rest of us when the money stops and we put the first few fusion reactors online, they could resort to state sanctioned "terrorism" until someone forks over "assistance".
You can run Biodiesel in any diesel engine without conversion as long as the vehicle was built after 1997.
Biodiesel is pure waste vegetable oil (w.v.o.) that has gone through extensive filtering and has additives like kerosene, methanol, etc… The additives help to keep the biodiesel from gelling. Running this kind of biodiesel requires no conversion. This is being sold at many pumps in Washington State, across the states, and all over Europe. Do a search for your area on the internet. Often major truck stops will have it. Right now B99 is selling at $3.30/gal and B75 is selling at $3.54 in Washington. This is better than the $3.65 for petroleum based diesel. Biodiesel is expected to drop in price as it is becoming more and more popular.
To run pure w.v.o. that has only been filtered, you will need to make a conversion to your vehicle. Essentially there will be two tanks in your vehicle and the w.v.o. tank and lines will need to be heated to keep the oil in a liquid state. I have several friends that have converted their vehicles and swear by it. The cons: extra tank in trunk takes up space, it's messy, finding used vegetable oil is getting harder and harder to find as this is getting more and more popular, you've got to filter it before it goes in the vehicle (filters can be somewhat costly and need to be replaced regularly but still cost effective compared to diesel prices). In Washington State some companies are paying restaurants for their w.v.o.
I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD (Common Rail Diesel). I've been running B99 (99% biodiesel 1% other) every summer and B75 (75% biodiesel 25% petroleum based diesel) every winter for two years now. No problems. MPG is the same and power is the same. The only issue is if you've got more than 50,000 miles on your vehicle and it's been running on petroleum diesel; you'll have to change your fuel filter a couple of times. This is because Biodiesel will be cleaning out your engine and the gunk gets caught in the filter. This is a good thing.
My personal choice; don't convert, just buy biodiesel at a pump in your area. It requires no conversion, still saves money, less messy, burns clean, and someone else does the filtering for you.
If it is not in your area write your local pumps. If no success then I would convert. My friends that did convert are paying about $0.40 a gallon with filters etc… They still switch to regular diesel when they run out because it requires regular trips to several restaurants and time spent to filter. One restaurant will most likely not be able to keep up with how quickly your burning it so you'll need multiple locations.
If your vehicle is older than a 97'; in the U.S. you'll need to change some of your fuel hoses because biodiesel especially at 99% will eat away at the hoses. But this is a one time expense. Talk to your dealer to get the details.
P.S: It smells different but it smells better than petroleum diesel by far. I don't mind the smell.
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Electric is the best choice, and I will show you exactly why. Much of the 'anti-EV' talk around here is based on 30-year old electric cars – but technology has not stood still.
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First, let's dispense with hydrogen. Fuel cell cars are electric cars (including batteries, because fuel cells can't make enough current for acceleration by themselves.) This means a fuel cell car will always be more expensive, and heavier, than a pure electric car. It will be more expensive to fuel as well, and more polluting (from the energy used to make hydrogen), because hydrogen is less efficient at storing energy than batteries. GM's Sequel fuel cell car is nearly 5,000 pounds, heavier than any pure electric car (twice the weight of the Tesla electric sports car.)
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Electric vehicles are extremely efficient, and do not have to be expensive to buy. Take a look at this page about EVs you can find for as little as $5000:
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http://squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car
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If you want something better than a cheap EV, here's the latest cutting-edge EV:
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http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=4560
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The ZAP-X outputs 644 horsepower, 155mph top speed, 350-mile range, charges in just 10 minutes, and has a 300,000 mile battery life. If EVs catch on, there will be 10-minute chargers at service stations, so we can take long trips.
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Or, with a 350-mile range, just pull into a hotel, and charge it from a wall plug while you sleep. Go more than 350 miles per day by charging it while you eat meals.
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I drive my electric car around for only about a penny per mile in electricity. High efficiency means more miles on less energy, which is why it's so cheap to drive on electricity. It's also why EVs make very little pollution, even if powerplants burn dirty fuel. But the best part is that a car-sized solar panel only costs about $1000. Put one up to help with charging, and your cost per mile – and pollution output – drops to almost ZERO. Name me another fuel that can beat that number.
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Exactly!
The idea that for an idea to be good it has to work and be used everywhere is deeply ingrained into our national psyche.
It shows up everywhere, from the cars we drive to the foods we eat to the houses we build. People need to relearn the lesson that nature has been trying to teach us, that different bio-regions require different methods of survival.
Hollywood phonies are only doing it for publicity like throwing a concert causing more pollution and damage to the environment and to global warming with the people at the concert there was litter, energy for the lighting amps booths etc, energy for the TVs to watch it, gas to drive there car emissions, etc.
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