Autoblog Green

Meet the MAX: Homemade biodiesel-powered Lotus Seven replica

Xavier Navarro — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:10:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, MPG, Vegetable Oil, Green Daily, Automotive X-Prize, Lightweight, USA

Generally speaking, purchasing an eco-friendly automobile is an expensive proposition. One way to reduce that cost is by going homemade. Such is the case with Jack McCormack from Kinetic Vehicles, who decided that he would love to have fun, practical, affordable and high-mileage two seater under $10 grand.

The resulting car is called the MAX: Mother's Automotive eXperiment. Although the initial goal was to reach the 100 mpg mark set for the Auto X Prize, the resulting car turned out to be a little far from this objective and was totaled in an accident. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured.

McCormack has rebuilt the car and hopes to accomplish the X Prize target with a custom-built streamlined body on a Locost chassis, a 32-horsepower three-cylinder diesel engine from Kubota, old Toyota Corolla parts and plenty of custom bits and pieces. The car is driven either with diesel, biodiesel or SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil). You can read the complete story at his site. We wish McCormack the best!

[Source: Kinetic Vehicles]

Meet the MAX: Homemade biodiesel-powered Lotus Seven replica originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Should I switch to straight veggie oil? What is holding SVO back?

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Greenlings

We like to answer reader questions with our Greenlings series whenever possible, and thought that Timothy H. had a good topic. He sent in the following question/suggestion about straight vegetable oil (SVO):

I have seen several articles dealing specifically with SVO, but not as it concerns the economic viability compared to petro-diesel. I mean there are articles out there, but I'm interested in knowing why I should/should not use SVO in my car, what benefits I have to look forward to, what problems people have had from using it, etc. Is it really as simple as heading to a Chinese restaurant and heckling $5 for a 50 gallon jug of WVO, then filtering the oil before it goes in the tank? If it isn't that easy, what is making it hard? Why are so few people making the jump if the conversion can pay itself off in two to three years?

We've got the answers for him - and everyone else who's interested - after the jump.

[Image: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading Should I switch to straight veggie oil? What is holding SVO back?

Should I switch to straight veggie oil? What is holding SVO back? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly?

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Vegetable Oil, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Natural Gas, Green Daily, Greenlings

Converted plug-in Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

Cash For Clunkers is officially over and helped put almost 700,000 new cars on the road. Now that the easy $4,500 are no longer available to buyers with low-mpg cars, we thought it'd be a good time to answer AutoblogGreen reader Adam's question that he submitted for our Greenlings series. Adam said he would like to know:

What efforts are being made via research & development that will convert existing vehicles to green vehicles? Is it not important to use the existing fleet vs. constant production of new and more vehicles? I am thinking of classic or special vehicles owners want to keep on the road once alternative engines / fuels are commercially available.

We tackle the question after the jump.

Gallery: EVS23: Kim Adelman's Plug-in Conversion Prius

Continue reading Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly?

Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red... Yellow... GREEN! Alternative vehicles take over drag strip

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hydrogen, Vegetable Oil, On Two Wheels, Green Daily, UK, Racing

Green means go. It's one of the first universal truths taught in school and it will be proven once again at the upcoming Santa Pod's Alternative Energy Race Day. According to Managing Director, David Lloyd Jones, "As a venue, we derive a great deal from Motorsport, so it's important that we do something that helps to plot the future of the sport. Somewhere in this eclectic line-up will be the genuine long-term future of Drag Racing and the direction that we all need to look toward. Trucks, cars, bikes, trikes are all welcome. Zero emissions does not mean zero fun or competitive edge."

Manufacturers like Vectrix and Lotus will be in attendance on Friday, April 24th, racing their two- and four-wheeled vehicles down the good ol' quarter-mile drag strip; anything that's not powered by fossil fuels is welcome and encouraged to attend. Entrance is free and the fastest vehicle wins. Sounds like a great time!

[Source: AE Racing via London Bikers]

Red... Yellow... GREEN! Alternative vehicles take over drag strip originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2008: Making Green Cool Zone trucks

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:49:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Vegetable Oil, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, SEMA Show

Click above for high-res gallery of Making Green Cool Zone trucks from SEMA

We are so used to huge trucks with outlandish paint jobs at SEMA, that we barely noticed these monstrosities in one corner of the upper level of the South Hall. But then we spotted the "Making Green Cool Zone" banner hanging over them and decided to take a closer look. Along with the dozen or so cars and bikes on display there were some seriously non-green-looking trucks. Their carbon footprints might be small, but godalmighty were they huge.

There was an enormous 2006 Chevy Dually done up by eXtreme-Biodiesel to showcase their 4-hour, 40-gallon portable Extreme Green Machines that make biodiesel just about anywhere they want to. The truck itself gets 25 mpg, which might not seem too impressive until you read that the turbodiesel engine pumps out 1,000 hp and 1,200 ft. lbs. of torque.

Dino Fuel Alternatives (DFA) was also on hand with not one, but two veggie oil trucks. They had a Vegistroke Ford, which we already know is one fast truck, having won the Thundertruck drags with a time of 15.81 seconds, but they also claim it gets 144 mpg. DFA's Vegistroke system has been available for any PowerStroke motor, but the company just finished its new VegiRam system for the Cummins diesel engine also. It was displayed in a VegiRam Dodge dually painted up like a NASCAR Craftsman truck series competitor.

Johnathan Goodwin had another super-efficient Hummer in Vegas, this one an H1 model with E85, Biodiesel, and water boy stickers on it. We already told you about the other Hummer H1 at SEMA that has been converted by Zero South with tracks to do a South Pole run next year. Right now it's a rolling education center with video screens facing in so passengers can see project presentations. Wild Gator Racing brought out a specially-prepped E85 Chevy Silverado that looked trail-ready.

Then we saw our favorite vehicle of the day, Baby. It's an old Japanese fire truck that was converted to run on natural oils and has become an ambassador for alternative fuels and environmental issues as it made its way around the world. Baby was featured in the award-winning documentary Oil + Water, and is now on the Kavu Elements Nature Propelled educational tour. Besides being able to run on just about any kind of oil, Baby also uses vehicle motion, sun, wind and water to store and use energy so the team can run off the grid when parked. The whole thing opens up too, with sleeping areas and a stage for movie showings, concerts and presentations. Very, very cool. See it in the gallery below (of just click here).

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Green trucks

SEMA 2008: Making Green Cool Zone trucks originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: L.A. Premiere of Josh Tickell's "Fuel"

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Green Culture, Vegetable Oil, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

Josh Tickell with producer and fiancee Rebecca Harrell

"America is addicted to oil...It's time for an intervention." That is the tagline for FUEL, Josh Tickell's redo of 2008's Sundance Audience Award winner, Fields of Fuel. We talked to Josh about that movie a couple of years, before he actually started putting it together. We made it to the L.A. premier of FUEL where we saw the flick, the principals and several celebs who support the cause. We even saw a Honda FCX Clarity in the parking lot along with dozens of hybrids, biodiesels and flex fuel vehicles. FUEL keeps the basic premise of Fields, but addresses some of the controversies surrounding biofuels and other alternative energy sources as well.

Fields of Fuel was basically a documentary of Tickell's 11-year quest to spread the gospel of renewable, sustainable biodiesel from behind the wheel of his used-cooking-oil-powered "Veggie Van." Sister site Cinematical did an excellent review of that film when it came out. The new film that premiered in L.A. last night is simply called FUEL because it adds info on solar and wind, biomass and algae, and a bunch of other alternative energy sources, along with answers to criticisms some of these fuels have generated. It's an entertaining and educational movie that speaks directly to us. Follow the jump for more info about the movie from the L.A. premiere.

Gallery: L.A. Premiere of FUEL film

Continue reading Review: L.A. Premiere of Josh Tickell's "Fuel"

Review: L.A. Premiere of Josh Tickell's "Fuel" originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can do it, too: Convert a Toyota 4runner to diesel, then to veggie oil

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Vegetable Oil

Interested in a Toyota 4Runner but wish it had a diesel powerplant? In the U.S., your engine options are limited to a 4 liter V6 or a 4.7 liter V8 (and you don't get the V8 in all states). But, if you're not in the U.S. and buying a Toyota Hilux Surf (i.e., a 4Runner with a different name), then you can opt for a diesel engine. Since a diesel engine is made for this vehicle, AutoblogGreen reader Mark G. had an idea. He wrote in to tell us about how he went about taking his 1999 U.S. 4Runner into a diesel SUV (importing an engine from Japan), and then had the engine converted over to run on veggie oil by Diesel Toyz. He writes:

Everything is completely factory in appearance and function. I now am getting 35+ mpg in a Toyota 4runner with 4wd that I used to get 15mpg. I am also now running on a waste product like waste vegetable oil. The ridiculous thing is that the rest of the world gets these vehicles standard, we have to pay to convert them.

That's quite a jump in miles per gallon, but we know that diesel get inherently more mpg than petrol engines. I've asked Mark how much these conversions cost him, but suffice to say this is one way to get the car you want to run on the fuel you want.

UPDATE: Mark responded:

The conversion including engine, trans, wiring, gauges, and labor to install was around $15k. They gave me all of the gas engine etc back and I sold them on eBay and recouped approx. $2500. The vegoil conversion added another $3k onto the price. Absolutely the most honest, straight-forward guys I've ever dealt with.

[Source: Diesel Toyz]

You can do it, too: Convert a Toyota 4runner to diesel, then to veggie oil originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan students power buses with veggie oil

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil, USA

It's no secret to the majority of our readers that it is possible to run many older diesel engines on nothing more than straight vegetable oil. In fact, the first diesel engine, invented by Rudolph Diesel, ran on peanut oil. This fact is also well known by the students at the Michigan Technical Academy who have converted their own school buses to run on waste vegetable oil. Garden Fresh Foods in Ferndale, Michigan is providing used veggie oil that was first used to fry tortilla chips for no charge. The total cost of the fuel for the two buses that are running on 100-percent veggie oil is estimated at about 80-cents a gallon. Other buses are running on a 10-percent blend of oil and diesel fuel. As the temps in Michigan go down, the blend will be adjusted, though the students are currently hard at work solving that problem with heaters. Great work.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Michigan students power buses with veggie oil originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AltWheels returns to Boston area next month

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Green Culture, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Vegetable Oil, Boston AltWheels, Green Daily, NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle)

Last year, the fifth annual AltWheels festival featured a lot of cool green car goodness - along with things like Darth Vader discussing HUMMER and a vegoil MINI. This year, the show returns to the Boston area for ~~three days~~ one day of greener transportation discussion and presentations, including a one-day fleet-centered show on September 29 that will feature what organizers are calling the "Largest Display of Alternative Fleet Vehicles on East Coast." It certainly looks like a tempting way to spend the day, and should give the people responsible for spending the real big bucks on fuel a chance to figure out how best to reduce costs.

For the general public, the two-day show takes place on September 26 and 27 at the Boston City Hall Plaza (the Fleet Day is in Framingham, MA) and is part educational event and part fun fair. I have no inside information on whether or not the evil Anakin will make an appearance, but the organizers are promising "jugglers, unicyclists, clowns, face painting, and much more fun for families." More details on Fleet Day are in the press release pasted after the jump and the general AltWheels site is here. I'm sure attendees will be posting their own reports online, but if any AutoblogGreen readers are headed to the show and want to share their photos or thoughts, drop us a line.

UPDATE: I misread the AltWheels website. There is in fact no two-day festival this year. One of the organizers wrote in to ABG with the following note: Thank you for posting about AltWheels Fleet Day but there will not be any two-day festival this year, just the Fleet Day. The economy had a dramatic effect on funders and potential funders. The festival was unable to secure enough sponsorship/support to guarantee the vibrant festival we've all come to know and love. Apologies.

[Source: AltWheels]

Continue reading AltWheels returns to Boston area next month

AltWheels returns to Boston area next month originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fendt announces new greener tractors

Xavier Navarro — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Vegetable Oil

Although we haven't spoken too much about tractors, I think it's good to know that green technologies are improving these vehicles. Take this example, German tractor manufacturer Fendt has announced that its new lineup of Vario tractors which reach the Com III emission standards which come in effect next year. Not only does it improve emissions, but consumption. Fendt has installed a system which makes exhaust gases recirculate back to the combustion chamber. A new CVT-like transmission system also allows its tractors to run in the ~~lowest~~ highest gear possible, thus improving consumption further. Not only that, the 820 Variogreentec model is one of the first tractors which are factory-ready to work with Vegetable Oil. With the push of a button, the 820 switches between diesel and rapeseed oil.

[Source: Fendt via Agroinformacion]

Fendt announces new greener tractors originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manila Police to use WVO from McDonalds

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetable Oil, Green Daily, Asia

Police in Manila, the capitol city of the Philippines, have taken up a cool new effort in order to save some green, though they will be spreading some green in the process. It seems that the Police force will be converting its cruisers to run on a mixture of waste vegetable oil (WVO) and diesel fuel. The oil in question will be donated by McDonalds. Other local area restaurants are also considering making similar donations. So far, just one vehicle has had the conversion done, though more are likely to closely follow. If the program in Manila proves successful, other nearby cities are likely to follow suit.

If the government authorities begin using veggie oil, how far could commercial use be behind? Along with the electric Jeepneys which are now proliferating through city centers in the area, the Philippines may just have a green-transportation revolution on their hands.

[Source: Breitbart.com]

Manila Police to use WVO from McDonalds originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Craigslist Find of the Day: '67 Mercury Cougar with Mercedes diesel engine

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Vegetable Oil, Mercedes Benz, Mercury, Green Daily, USA

Click on the image for high-res shots of this diesel 1967 Mercury Cougar

Much of the vegetable oil and biodiesel movement centers around the classic Mercedes-Benz inline six cylinder engine, but fine examples of the genre are getting tougher to find. As is always the case with older machines, time and driving in general take their toll on the bodies and chassis of our favorite classics. But, these old Mercedes lumps can be rebuilt to fine running order. Wondering what to do with that good-running or rebuilt turbodiesel engine? How about dropping it into the engine bay of some classic Detroit iron? Many of these older American vehicles were built with engine-bays capable of accepting everything from a straight-six to a huge big block V8 engine. If that sounds like too much trouble, perhaps you should take a look at an example that's already been converted. Right now on Craigslist in L.A. is a cherry 1967 Mercury Cougar with a Mercedes OM617 cast iron turbodiesel engine from a Mercedes-Benz 300SD. Mated to a four-speed manual tranny, we'd imagine that many trouble-free miles of burbling diesel goodness are in store for this particular gem. Thanks for the tip, Geeky1!

Gallery: Craigslist Find: 1967 Cougar Diesel

[Source: Craigslist]

Craigslist Find of the Day: '67 Mercury Cougar with Mercedes diesel engine originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 20 May 2008 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Veggie oil explained easy

Xavier Navarro — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:19:00 EST

Filed under: Vegetable Oil

Gavin Shappiro sent us a very well edited video of a green hobby: driving a 2005 Volkswagen Golf TDI with vegetable oil. As most of our readers know, converting a diesel car to run on vegetable oil is not a difficult thing to do, and virtually any diesel car can run with it. Gavin's friend Chase Emmons, who owns the Golf TDI, obtains the oil for free from restaurants, which would usually have to pay to get their waste oil removed. The video also shows the important switch that is used to switch from diesel to vegetable oil, since these cars need to be started with regular diesel to warm the veggie oil.

UPDATE: actually, the owner of this car is Chase Emmons, and Shappiro created the video with him. Minor edits made to the story to reflect this.

Find the video after the jump.

Continue reading Video: Veggie oil explained easy

Video: Veggie oil explained easy originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 04 May 2008 08:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NorthStar Moving powers their fleet with biodiesel

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:23:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil, USA

California's NorthStar Moving Corporation has just converted all of its trucks to run on biodiesel fuel. All of the fuel used by the moving and storage company will now be veggie-based. Additionally, their fleet of vehicles has also been fitted with battery-powered rear lift gates as opposed to hydraulic, meaning that the engine does not need to idle for extended periods.

NorthStar reportedly has tried greening other aspects of their operation. All of their boxes and stationery are made from recycled material and are reused when possible. The company claims that skylights and windows are used for natural lighting when possible and their warehouses are well-insulated. We applaud these efforts, of course, especially the use of biodiesel. With diesel prices as high as they are, we wonder what impact biodiesel may have on the market, considering that cost is often a driving factor when it comes to our energy needs.

Continue reading NorthStar Moving powers their fleet with biodiesel

NorthStar Moving powers their fleet with biodiesel originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The top five upcoming green events, number two: Green Grand Prix

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:47:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Vegetable Oil, Natural Gas, Lightweight, USA

One of the 2007 Green Grand Prix entries.

The fact that the Green Grand Prix makes an appearance on our list should not come as a shocker. Where else are you gonna see pod-racers (like in the picture above) racing alongside vehicles running on biodiesel, electrons, LP, CNG, hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars, a wood-powered SUV and a vegetable oil-powered car? Nowhere, as far as we know, which means we wish we could be in upstate New York on May 3rd.

Finally, Number 1.

The top five upcoming green events, number two: Green Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Green Grand Prix coming to New York next week with a wood-burning SUV

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:23:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Green Culture, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Vegetable Oil, Natural Gas, Green Daily

One of the 2007 Green Grand Prix entries.

Here's a race we'd like to watch. The fourth annual Green Grand Prix is coming to Watkins Glen in upstate New York in a week and a half (May 3rd). While there are some podracer-like entries (e.g., the photo above), the bulk of the vehicles are standard-looking but powered by an alternative fuel source: we're talking biodiesel, pure EVs, LP, CNG, hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars, a wood-powered SUV and a vegetable oil-powered car. The Green Grand Prix is also the only official SCCA Time-Speed-Distance Road Rally for alternate fueled vehicles and hybrids in the United States.

The road rally takes place over 60 miles (at legal highway speeds) and was created by Bob Gillespie. A fan of hybrids, Gillespie said in a statement he just wanted to "give people a first hand look at alternative personal transportation. This year's event will be even bigger than the last, as more and more people realize the multiple benefits of green power." The race portion will take place at the Racing Research Center. There will also be a presentation from the Cornell University X-Prize Team. Learn more about the Green Grand Prix here and read the release after the jump.

Continue reading Green Grand Prix coming to New York next week with a wood-burning SUV

Green Grand Prix coming to New York next week with a wood-burning SUV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spaniards will be able to trade old veggie oil for biodiesel

Xavier Navarro — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:19:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil, Europe/EU

The Association of Municipalities and Counties of Catalonia, Spain (ACM), has announced an agreement with Recicloil, a company that recycles used vegetable oil into biodiesel. The agreement states that the company will provide one liter of free biodiesel to citizens for each 20 liters of used oil people bring in. Recicloil will also provide a free 2,000-liter biodiesel pump (as well stickers) which will be installed for city fleets using this biodiesel.

While this is not the first of such networks, as we explained in another post, it's an important partnership. Spaniards tend to throw used oil down the drain, which is not only a waste of an useful resource, but causes lots of problems in water treatment plants. Powering cars seems much smarter.

[Source: Europa Press via Econoticias]

Spaniards will be able to trade old veggie oil for biodiesel originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The latest solution to the hydrogen problem: biodiesel?

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen, Vegetable Oil, Green Daily

This is weird.

One of the easiest arguments to make against hydrogen fuel cells is that you have one too many energy conversions going on (first, you need energy to make the hydrogen, then you use the hydrogen to make electricity onboard the vehicle). Why not just use the initial energy - usually electricity - to power up a battery and move the car that way? Well, "the battery" and range anxiety are two obvious answers, but still, the idea that we keep refining energy sources until we get to hydrogen is one that not a lot of people are buying.

So, what will they think about turning biodiesel (and vegetable oil) into hydrogen? That's the idea behind Innovatek's latest proposal, according to Biodiesel Magazine. Innovatek's president, chief executive officer and founder Patricia Irving (pictured) said that her company has reduced the size needed for making hydrogen through steam reforming to "something more portable."

So, basically, the idea is that we make biodiesel (or vegetable oil), transport that over long distances (instead of hydrogen, which is pretty hard to transport) and put it into a small steam reformer that can then make hydrogen to make electricity in a fuel cell.

Whew.

[Source: Biodiesel Magazine]

The latest solution to the hydrogen problem: biodiesel? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keene State College an EPA award finalist with waste oil project

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:19:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Culture, Vegetable Oil, Green Daily

AutoblogGreen reader Mike C wrote a comment recently about the waste-oil-to-fuel work that's going on at his school, Keene State College. I read that and thought this story deserved mention here on the main page. Whenever students are doing something clever and green, I like to share their stories (e.g., here and here).

The student's project is a pretty standard one that collects waste grease from local establishments and then recycles it into biodiesel that Keene city and KSC vehicles burn. Last week, the KSC student team was chosen as a finalist in the EPA's People, Prosperity, and The Planet award competition. As a finalist, the students will be headed to DC to try and win funding (up to $75,000) to expand the program.

[Source: Keene Feed]

Continue reading Keene State College an EPA award finalist with waste oil project

Keene State College an EPA award finalist with waste oil project originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Instructable of the day: converting an old school bus to veggie-power

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil

If you are reading our site, you are probably already familiar with the fact that any diesel vehicle can run on biodiesel. As a matter of fact, most any can diesel vehicle can even run on used vegetable oil with just a few modifications. There are some issues with vegetable oil which must first be addressed, one of which is keeping the fuel warm. What many conversion vehicles do to remedy this situation is to heat the vegetable oil and starting the vehicle with regular diesel fuel. A few other modifications are generally made to the fuel system to filter the veggie oil before it gets to the combustion chambers. How would you go about performing these operations? Check out this Instructable for directions on how a conversion was done on an older school bus. A few drums were strapped under the bus with the middle one being preheated before sending fuel to the engine. Check out the mad-max style photo above for a glimpse into this conversion.

Don't have a veggie oil conversion but still want to use heat from your engine for something useful? How about for cooking... click here.

Gallery: Veggie Bus Conversion

[Source: Instructables]

Instructable of the day: converting an old school bus to veggie-power originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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