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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can Biodiesel be used in my engine?
A: Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine with little to no modification.
Q: I thought a conversion was needed to run Biodiesel?
A: There is no conversion needed to run Biodiesel it is a completely interchangeable fuel with diesel. A conversion is needed if you want to run your vehicle on straight or waste vegetable oil.
Q: What do I need to do in order to switch to Biodiesel?
A: Once you have a diesel vehicle all you need to do is go to a Biodiesel Fueling station and fill up. However, Biodiesel is a very good solvent. Because of this it will clean diesel deposits and rust off of your fuel tank and fuel lines. All of these deposits will end up in your fuel filter. It is recommended that you replace your fuel filter after 2-3 months of operation on Biodiesel. Once all the petroleum diesel deposits and rust are removed from your fuel system you will only need to replace your filter during scheduled maintenance.
Q: What do I do if I can’t find a Biodiesel fueling station?
A: Biodiesel can be used alone or blended in any percentage with regular diesel. If you can’t find a Biodiesel fueling station simply top off with petroleum based diesel fuel. The two fuels will blend together inside your tank.
Q: Will Biodiesel dissolve my fuel lines?
A: Biodiesel is a great solvent and it will degrade natural rubber fuel lines, which are sometimes found in older vehicles. All newer cars have synthetic rubber fuel lines, which have no problem transferring Biodiesel. If you have an older vehicle and run Biodiesel you can determine if you have natural rubber fuel lines because the lines will appear to be sweating after a few weeks of use. Simply replace your fuel lines with synthetic rubber ones and your vehicle is ready to go.
Q: What is B20
A: B20, B99, B5, B100 are all different blends of Biodiesel. The number represents the percentage of Biodiesel in the total volume. B20 is 20% Biodiesel and 80% petrol-diesel
Q: Why sell B99, and not B100?
A: The federal government recently passed an incentive program for the use of Biodiesel. This incentive removes the federal road tax from the purchase of blended Biodiesel. Because this tax credit only applies to blended Biodiesel we have to mix 1 gallon of petrol-diesel in with ever 99 gallons of Biodiesel in order to pass the savings on to you.
Q: Will Biodiesel work in cold weather?
A: Biodiesel like petrol-diesel will gel in cold temperatures. Pure Biodiesel is not recommended for use below freezing. B20 has basically the same cloud point as #2 Diesel and can be used in similar weather conditions using similar fuel management techniques. B5 has virtually no impact on cold weather flow.
Q: What if I want to go into arctic areas?
A: If you are going to a cold environment we recommend that you top of your tank with petrol diesel prior to departing in order to reduce your Biodiesel blend. Also in-line fuel heaters, and block heaters can be used to assist diesel vehicles in colder climates.
Q: Will the Biodiesel and petrol-diesel blend inside my tank?
A: Yes, as long as both fuels are above their cloud point temperature they will blend together inside your vehicles fuel tank.
Q: Will Biodiesel affect my fuel economy?
A: Many people claim that Biodiesel will increase your fuel economy by 5%. It is possible that this is true due to higher lubricity and a higher BTU content than #1 Diesel fuel. We have no data to back these claims. Generally speaking Biodiesel offers you the same power, consumption, horsepower, torque, and hauling rates as conventional diesel only with far less environmental consequences.
Q: Is Biodiesel an ASTM approved fuel?
A: Yes Biodiesel has been an ASTM approved fuel since 1999.
Q: Will Biodiesel damage my engine?
A: No, Biodiesel has a higher lubricity than petroleum diesel and actually extends the life of your engine.
Q: Does Biodiesel take more energy to produce than we get in return?
A: No, this is a misconception that has been highly publicized but refers to a few studies funded by big oil companies. The way these studies were able to reach their conclusions was by ignoring the primary product of the grain crusher. The primary product from crushing soybeans is the meal, not the soy oil used for Biodiesel production. If you consider the primary product waste and use our very energy intensive agricultural methods for growing soybeans it may be a net energy looser. Inclusive, and un-biased studies like the Department of Energy and the United States Department of Agriculture’s lifecycle analysis shows that for every unit of fossil energy it takes to make Biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained. This takes into account the planting, harvesting, fuel production and fuel transportation to the end user.
Q: What is the shelf life of Biodiesel?
A: Biodiesel like conventional petrol-diesel should be used within six months or reanalyzed after six months to ensure the fuel meets ASTM specifications. If you intend to store any diesel fuel it is highly recommended that you use a Biocide fuel stabilizer like Bio Bor.
Q: Will Biodiesel production disrupt our food production?
A: It is possible but not for a very long time. Potential Biodiesel crops here in Washington include mustard seed and canola oil. These crops are currently grown in crop rotations, but because there is no economic use for the seeds they are simply tilled into the ground rather than harvested. These crops are grown to increase soil fertility and the yields of the primary crop. Waste crops like these are grown all over the country and offer huge potential of Biodiesel production.
Q: Why is there no economic use of the seeds if they can be converted into Biodiesel?
A: The primary reason is because in Washington we do not have any seed crushers. Because of this we have no way to locally convert mustard or canola oil seeds into vegetable oil, the first step in the Biodiesel production process. Further many of the federal subsidies for Biodiesel production only apply to large-scale agricultural processes like those used for soybean production. In the end it is cheaper to bring soy oil in on train from Iowa than it is to pay our local farmers for their unused oil seed crops. Many people in this region are working very hard to build local seed crushers, and create incentives for local vegetable oil production so we can change this unfortunate situation.
Q: Will we ever run out of Biodiesel production capability?
A: Yes arable land is a finite resource. Most estimators of Bio-fuel production potential estimate that at max capacity our agricultural assets could feed this country and fuel 30-40% of our vehicles with bio-fuels. It will take us a very long time to reach this potential but if we did it would undoubtedly be one of the largest contributors of renewable energy in our country.
Q: Will Biodiesel be cheaper than petrol-diesel?
A: We have seen a few occurrences where Biodiesel has actually been cheaper and the prices are continuing to get closer and closer together. That being said unless specific governmental regulation prohibiting petrol-diesel sales, or requiring Biodiesel sales is enacted Biodiesel will always stay slightly more expensive that petrol-diesel. Biodiesel is a direct substitute that is a higher quality product. It is a higher quality product because it produces significantly less environmental impacts. Because it is a higher quality product and in shorter supply it will always sell at a premium. Imagine that all the sudden it was 20 cent cheaper per gallon. Everyone would want to use Biodiesel. No one is cold hearted enough to pay more to destroy the planet, deplete fossil fuels, and support resource wars. But if we don’t have enough for everyone to use supply and demand takes over. The higher quality product will be in higher demand and will bring a higher market price. First supplies will be restricted by rates of increasing production, but eventually by total biofuel production capacity. Biofuels are not a silver bullet to our energy problems, but they probably are one of the biggest bullets we have.
Q: What is a WVO or conversion kit?
A: To run a diesel vehicle on Waste or Straight vegetable oil you need to preheat the oil prior to using it as a fuel. Preheating the oil makes it viscous enough to flow through the fuel lines and insure proper atomization of the oil. A WVO kit adds a separate vegetable oil fuel tank to your vehicle. The operator starts his or her car on Biodiesel like normal, then after the vehicle reaches proper operating temperature the hot water in the vehicles radiator is passed though a heat exchanger in the vegetable oil tank heating up the vegetable oil. When the vegetable oil reaches operating temperatures the driver switches from the Biodiesel tank to the vegetable oil tank and the car is now running on veggie power. Prior to shutting down the vehicle the driver needs to purge the fuel lines of vegetable oil, which is done by switching back to the Biodiesel fuel tank.
Q: Can I run a WVO kit with regular canola oil?
A: Yes a WVO kit can be used to burn straight vegetable oil in your vehicle
Q: What is the Benefit of WVO
A: Running your vehicle on waste vegetable oil offers many benefits. First powering your vehicle on waste, is far greener than fueling it with any other agricultural or petroleum based fuel. The second major benefit is waste vegetable oil is very cheap. Most restaurants actually pay to get their grease hauled away. People who power their vehicles on waste typically pay nothing for fuel at all.
Q: What do I need to do after collecting WVO?
A: After collecting WVO you need to filter it down to at least a 5-micron level. This can be achieved by moving the oil through a sock filter either using gravity or a pump. Next you need to remove any water from your oil and then you are ready for fueling.
Q: Where and what type of WVO should I collect?
A: Waste vegetable oil can be found at a variety of restaurants and shops including: Chinese food, doughnut shops, grocery stores, burger joints, Ivars etc. When locating a source it is best to find one that uses un-homogenized oils, as this is the best type of oil to use as vehicle fuel
Q: Where can I get a WVO kit?
A: The Green Car Company sells and installs WVO kits. Kits range in price from $600 - $1000. The higher priced kits offer fully automated fuel switching, and higher inlet vegetable oil temperatures.
Q: Can I run a gasoline vehicle on WVO?
A: No you can only install WVO kits on diesel vehicles.
Q: Is WVO an ASTM approved Fuel?
A: No, WVO is not an ASTM approved Fuel.
Q: Will WVO damage my engine?
A: Using Waste Vegetable oil can lead to some engine damage if it is not properly cleaned and utilized. One possible problem is engine coking. This should not be a problem if clean oil is used, and the oil enters the fuel jet above atomization temperature.
Q: Is an electric motor more efficient than Internal Combustion engines?
A: Yes electric motors are the most efficient type of engine. Operating at a peak efficiency of 90%, as apposed to a Gas engine at 33%, and a Diesel engine at 43%
Q: Is an electric car 60% more efficient than internal combustion vehicles?
A: No, two things come in to play here. First some energy is lost when storing or removing it from the batteries. Second batteries have a much higher energy density (energy/lb) than fuel. Because of this an electric car with the same range and performance characteristics may be much heavier than the same standard vehicle. It is important to remember that it takes energy to move mass.
Q: Is there a point of diminishing returns on electric vehicles?
A: Yes. A lightweight all electric city cars like the Zebra are certainly more efficient than its gas powered equivalent. A long distance all electric Semi Truck would certainly waste more energy carrying a whole truck bed of batteries than it saved by using a more efficient electric motor. Somewhere between these to vehicle classes we reached a point of diminishing returns where we actually lose energy by trying to make heavy long-range vehicles powered by all electricity.
Q: Is this why they make Hybrids?
A: Yes hybrid vehicles are made to take advantage of the energy efficient electric motor, and the high energy density of liquid fuels. Hybrids are a more efficient drive train system for long-range vehicles but today’s hybrids are not the perfect green car.
Q: What’s not to like about Hybrids?
A: Hybrids increase your vehicles drive train efficiency by about 35%. However, similar gains can be made simply by switching to a diesel engine (30%). With similar efficiency gains the only difference is that gas hybrids you have to fill with gasoline, a finite fossil fuel. Diesel vehicles you can fill with renewable, locally grown, global warming benign Biodiesel. Rather than mitigate your consumption of fossil fuels with a hybrid eliminate your consumption of fossil fuels with a Biodiesel ready vehicle.
Q: Can’t you run gasoline cars on Ethanol?
A: Yes, most modern cars can be requested when purchased, or modified, to be flexible fuel vehicles. Meaning they can adjust their compression and timing based on any quantity of ethanol between 0 and 100% in your fuel tank. Unfortunately, Ethanol crops are not readily available in this region, there is not an established ethanol distribution network and the Energy Profit Ratio (energy invested in production over energy returned from fuel) is about half that of Biodiesel.
Q: What about a Biodiesel Hybrid?
A: You will have to ask Detroit about this one. A diesel hybrid passenger vehicle makes all the sense in the world. This would be one of the most efficient vehicles and it could be run on Biodiesel. But if you are going to make the greenest car in the world don’t forget to put a plug on it.
Q: So if I had a Biodiesel hybrid SUV I’m part of the solution right?
A: No. The best diesel hybrid SUV design might get an astonishing 35-mpg. 35-mpg is significantly less than a VW Golf TDI. It is less than even a standard gas powered Honda Civic. It is important to realize that it takes energy to move mass, the larger the car is the more energy it takes to move it regardless of how efficient that vehicle is. A very inefficient motorcycle will consume less energy than any type of advanced technology hybrid vehicle SUV. If you use your car to carry passengers use a passenger vehicle. If you are a construction worker drive a utility vehicle. There is no place in an urban environment for a Sport Utility Vehicle you simply don’t need the energy consuming hauling, towing and 4x4 abilities to take the kids to soccer practice or to get to work.
Q: What is a Plug in Hybrid?
A: A plug in hybrid is a hybrid that has extra batteries on board. Rather than using the IC engine to generate electricity from gasoline a plug in hybrid first uses batteries charged by the electric grid to move the vehicle. The batteries power the vehicle under all electric power for 20, 40, or 60 miles. Then when the batteries reach a 20% state of charge the internal combustion engine kicks on to power the electric motor for the rest of the trip.
Q: Where can I buy a Plug in Hybrid?
A: Again you will have to demand this one out of Detroit. Until then The Green Car Company is working in combination with a company in California to bring to market a conversion kit that would modify existing hybrids into plug-in electric hybrids.
Q: I have heard that Plug in Hybrids get 500 mpg, is this true?
A: This could be true, but it is very misleading. If you only drive your plug-in hybrid on short trips you will actually never consume any gasoline at all only electricity. In this case you could say that your plug in hybrid gets infinite miles per gallon of gasoline. But it is important to realize that the electricity coming out of the wall is also energy. A plug in hybrid is actually slightly less efficient than a regular hybrid because of the extra battery weight it is carrying. These vehicles simply switch the type of energy you are using so you can take advantage of the benefits electricity has to offer your car.
Q: What are the advantages of being all-electric?
A: Electric energy is cheaper than fuel energy. Electric energy can be produced from a wide variety of sources, many of which are renewable like hydro, wind and solar making electricity prices more stable than fuel prices. Electric cars are very quiet and produce no tail pipe emissions.
Q: What about all electric vehicles?
A: All electric vehicles like our “Zebra” city electric car is a very economical choice for short-range vehicle trips. By only having a short range and reducing the vehicle size these all-electric cars are lighter and more efficient than any full size vehicle.
Q: How many trips could a short-range electric vehicle replace for me?
A: The answer changes for every driver. But for the average American 80% of our vehicle trips are within 10 miles of our home, and 40% of our vehicle trips are within 5 miles. 50% of all cars on the road travel less than 20 miles per day. All of these trips and vehicle requirements could be met with a city electric vehicle like the Zebra.
Q: Is driving a short/mid-range electric vehicle going to save me money.
A: Yes, a lightweight electric vehicle cost between a quarter of a penny and 2 cent per mile driven. That is compared to the 14 cents to drive a 20-mpg gasoline car. By using an all-electric vehicle for your local errands and commutes you could significantly reduce your transportation cost while benefiting the environment. One of the biggest environmental benefits comes from eliminating cold starts.
Q: What is a Cold Start?
A: A cold start is starting your gasoline or diesel vehicle for the first time when the engine is not warmed up. Internal combustion engines burn a higher rate of fuel and produce a large portion of air pollutants during the cold start. This is one reason why it is important to let you car warm up prior to driving it.
Q: Can an all-electric vehicle be my primary vehicle.
A: Unfortunately, there are not any commercially available all electric freeway vehicles. Many vehicles like the electric Rav4 are actually being sent to crushers because manufactures don’t want offer electric vehicle service through their dealerships. There are however places and people who will modify an existing vehicle into a highway rated electric car. Other than that you can certainly use a city electric car as your primary vehicle, by avoiding freeways, taking public transportation, using a flex car, or another full size vehicle as you occasional long distance/high speed driver.