Fuel efficient vehicles with BIO/WVO

[froggo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close froggo]

Re: Fuel efficient vehicles with BIO/WVO

Hi RODEONICK,

we might even be able to bag Bambi if we are lucky. There are a few nice examples running amok on the local roads near the bush. Or should I say "proposed national parks," soon to be known here as feral country and fire risk.

God bless froggo.

[captain datto Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close captain datto]

Re: Fuel efficient vehicles with BIO/WVO

I've got a 1990 Patrol diesel, only starting to make bio. Had the car for about a year. I did not buy it with the intention of making bio. I got the diesel for range. Does about 12 litres per 100, gives me about 750-800kms a tank. Petrol would be lucky to get 400kms a tank. The cost of LPG is great, but I did an outback trip in June and didn't see LPG being sold anywhere off the black stuff.

I own a 4WD to do what it was made for; go offroad. At the end of the day though, we apparently live in a free country. If someone can afford to run the kids around in their brand spankers petrol 200 series Lexus cruiser, more power to them. I certainly can't afford it and even if I could I wouldn't, but it's their money.

I'm making bio to save money. I'm not delusional enough to think me running the car on cooking oil rather than dinosaurs is going to have any considerable difference to the environment. Debates about global warming and what not aside, one car makes no difference in the grand scheme of things.

I toyed with the idea of dropping a 2L or 3L into a mid 80's Corona (I don't think it'd be too hard to fit) and running it on bio as a run about. At a guess it'd give you 8-9l per 100km around town. But it's not worth the money. $500 for a good example of a car, $2000 for a reliable second hand engine plus odds and ends. Ignore any potential fuel system repairs and labour (I'm a mechanic so I'd do it all myself) and you still need to use a hell of a lot of bio before you break even. Mercs and diesel Gemmis are too thin on the ground around here.

[tando Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close tando]

Re: Fuel efficient vehicles with BIO/WVO

Always a heated subject the ol 4WD... I think in general there is a lot of misconception regarding use of 4WDs vs the use of All WDs. I totally agree with the posts regarding appropriate use including farmers, fire fighters, tradies and recreational users. I was surprised at the comment of shock with 13l/100k for a 4WD, I suspect there is a huge number of petrol 2WD vehicles and soccer mum AWDs out there not getting this level of economy. Remember the lobby to ban 4WDs from city areas.. I bet that would have never been defined as vehicle that all four wheels are driven, else all the Outback,Imprezza, AUDI, Territory and other drivers would have soon had it stopped.
My desire to enter the Bio space is an attempt to recycle more and reuse - I too live in an area not serviced by public transport - so I have to drive. We have a very thermally efficient home that enables me to keep my energy costs well below some quoted national averages that I have seen, however my wife is a Warm Glass artist that uses electric kilns which is a load not easily met with PV panels (even if we qualified for the 8K rebate).
So my other application for BD is to run a Generator to power her studio - this way she can market her art as 'carbon neutral' despite having a high energy input... LoL
I also have a modern 6L V8 that has averaged 13.2L/100km since new last year - but I dont intend to make ETHANOL for it as I have changed ALL the downlights and other lights in our house to CFLs which probably helps more than not buying the V8 (according to an article in RuralPress earlier this year) It does cost less to maintain than my 4WD - less oil changes and servicing, so less waste (but all petrochemical waste )

So I guess what I am saying is I support 4WDs and I would love to buy a new small euro diesel that i could run on bio - but im likely to buy an old Merc /that gets 10L/100km for less than 5K that will be a much better carbon/environmental solution given the energy cost to build and transport a VW from euro (or south africa).

Do VW direct ship Golfs from Sth Afrika to Oz or do they go back to Germany then to Oz??? you would hope not! And dont get me started on the cost of my VE commodore vs what the Yanks pay for them as G8 Pontiacs.....