I have recently been interested in using biodiesel in my jetta TDI and have found a couple fueling stations that have it available. I am currently running B100 (100% biodiesel) in my car. I found it at a Marathon Station in Apple Valley. I wouldn’t normally drive there to fill up, but I happened to be out there, so I thought I would give it a shot. Prior to that, I used B20 for the first time which I found a little closer (but not much).

So, you may be asking why use biodiesel? Well, because Biodiesel is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel. It is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. Since it is made in the USA from renewable resources such as soybeans, its use decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to our own economy. On top of that it extends the life of your engine due to its good lubricating properties as well as it runs cleaner, and removes carbon deposits that traditional Diesel fuel causes.

So what are the downsides? There are some downsides to it. First off, It seems as though my car is not quite as quick, but yet it runs smoother. I can’t really describe it other than it’s not as jumpy when I hit the throttle. Also, it is not readily available(at least in this area) and because of this, B100 can be more expensive that regular diesel. The b20 I got was the same price as the regular diesel.

Diesel engines are much more efficient than gas engines and they are getting cleaner and cleaner. Many auto makers such as Honda and Toyota are going to start producing Diesel cars along with VW and Mercedes who have been making them for years and years. This is good news! For one, the fuel efficiency is much better, so they will use less fuel overall, plus the more demand there is for Diesel, the more likely that Biodiesel will be more readily available, and thus lower our overall dependancy on foreign oil as well as reduce the amount of dirty emissions being put into the air every day. It is truly the most “green” option for a vehicle, even much better that a Toyota Prius or other hybrids which still rely on foreign oil, as well as the production and disposal of the batteries involved in them which is not good for the earth.

I just wish that there were more stations that sold bio. The coolest thing is that you can make Biodiesel yourself with the right equipment. I am hoping to be able to make it within the next few years. Once I get the system down, I would love to use waste vegetable oil from local restaurants to make it with. When made this way, it cost’s $0.46 per gallon. So not only is it great for the environment, but it would save on my wallet as well. The interesting thing is that Rudolph Diesel originally developed the Diesel Engine to be able to run on peanut oil, so in a way we are geting back to the original intent of this engine.