Sunday, August 12, 2007

Biodiesel Cars: Worth The Investment Or Not?

What are biodiesel cars?



  • It's a car whose fuel you can make at home.
  • It's a car that doesn't depend on the high price of gasoline to get you to work.
  • It's a vehicle that is cleaner and more efficient than gas or regular diesel.
  • It's a car your friends are gonna envy.



Of course, most people won't believe it at first. Then they'll make up all kinds of reasons why biodiesel cars isn't a good idea "for them." Well, THEY HEARD, blah, blah, blah. Well, that's cool. They’re correct, it's not for some people. But if you want to needle them a little, all you have to do is ask them a simple question;



How much do they pay a month for fuel?



Watch the conversation lose steam real quick after that. Or if they are die-hards, 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 of particulate emissions (black sooty cloud)



56.3% reduction of hydrocarbons



80-90% reduction of mutagenicity (cancer-causing agents)



100% reduction of sulfurs (a major component of acid rain.



Yes, it is entirely possible to eliminate Exxon Mobil from your daily commute. More people are using biodiesel cars everyday. Even more people will in the future. You will need a diesel car (or truck) of course. Many companies make them and more will in the future. Mercedes is one, (Come on, be honest. Wouldn't you really like to have an old Mercedes to tool around town in?) Volkswagen is another. Jeep is also coming out with a new "Liberty" model already modified for biodiesel. With very little modification, (or none) these cars will run better, last longer, and trust me on this, smell a whole lot better.



You can easily brew up a tank over the weekend in the garage with a biodiesel kit, or the home built biodiesel processor you built from the pages on the web site below and cruise around town for the rest of the week in a biodiesel car whose exhaust smells like fresh pop corn! In which case NO CONVERSION is necessary.



So let's go straight to the number one question...



"Is biodiesel conversion for my car/truck possible...?"



If you are thinking about using and/or brewing your own biodiesel, no conversion is necessary. You can run your car or truck on biodiesel no problem, and no conversion needed. "Conversion" refers to running your car/truck on straight vegetable oil (SVO) You got it right, slop some Canola in the tank and go. A lot of people are doing just that.



“How do I convert to biodiesel?”



Converting is a matter of understanding the principles involved, the weaknesses of SVO and planning around them. You need in essence two fuel tanks, one with diesel, one with biodiesel. You start the engine on diesel, then when it is warm, switch over to SVO. The web site below contain plans on how to "do-it-yourself."



"What are the disadvantages to biodiesel conversion?



Like all things in life, there is a downside. For one, depending on where you live, in colder climates warming your engine and/or fuel maybe necessary. For another, if you are using waste vegetable oil there is time involved in filtering the oil, etc. Last, there will be the expense of either installing your own conversion kit, or buying a kit and having a mechanic do it.



For more information on all aspects of biodiesel cars, visit the web site below.




David Sieg is the Managing Director of Global Biotechnology Solutions, an American company based in Vietnam. His expertise is in real world application of alternative fuels and technologies for developing countries. He is also the author of the wildly popular http://www.making-biodiesel-at-home.com web site where he shares his knowledge freely to enable anyone to become energy independent.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Sieg
http://EzineArticles.com/?Biodiesel-Cars:-Worth-the-Investment-or-Not?&id=273801

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