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Alternative Fuels

bikesbikesbikes | May 30, 2011 |

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Addicted To Oil: An Intervention

Are you addicted to oil? It's a habit that hundreds of millions of us complain about every day. It might seem like we have no other option when it comes to our daily commute, but there are some amazing alternatives!

Here are some fuel alternatives that are not only cheaper, but better for the environment and better for your soul.

Greased Lightening

You might have heard rumors of the diesel vegetable oil conversion kits out there, and they are very true. Believe it or not, you can run your car on the stuff they cook french fries in.

Diesel engines are easily converted to burn waste oil generated by most restaurants. Your costs will be low, and your exhaust will smell like french fries, no joke!

Time was you could get your grease for free. Unfortunately, most restaurants now keep their waste oil under lock and key, as they can sell it. Nevertheless, it is still attainable and much cheaper than gasoline. Just inquire at local restaurants about purchasing their waste oil.

You'll need to invest in one of the veggie oil conversion kits out there in order to make your diesel engine burn the stuff properly. There's also a bit of engineering involved to make sure the grease is nicely filtered and clean burning.

Biodiesel

A biodiesel vehicle is effectively very similar to a grease car. Both are based on vegetable or animal oils. A lot of biodiesel is manufactured from restaurant waste oil. Both grease and biodiesel are biodegradable and renewable.

The difference is, biodiesel is far more refined than veggie oil, and it is readily available in many refuelling stations, so it is very convenient. You won't need any veggie oil conversion kits, biodiesel can work in most diesel engines, though there are various grades of biodiesel.

You do need to make sure your diesel vehicle can run on biodiesel. Check with your manufacturer before making the switch.

Compressed Natural Gas

CNG (compressed natural gas) is a fuel alternative that can save you a lot of money.

Compressed natural gas is a fuel that is similar in energy efficiency to petroleum. However, it burns much cleaner, and it's less expensive (approximately half as much). CNG vehicles require the gas to be compressed, so be prepared to install a specialized tank on your car. CNG suppliers can be hard to find. You may have only one or two service stations in your area that supply it.

CNG is a good option because most gas engines are easily converted with no modifications. However, like petroleum, natural gas is a finite resource, and not renewable.

Gas Pain No More

Hopefully we won't need to rely on any type of combustible fuel in the near future, but for the time being the above are excellent options to let you commute on the cheap!

Technology to look forward to in the future? Vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen, and even compressed air!

Good Luck!