What is a biodiesel car?
The typical biodiesel car has a two-tank system. One tank in the car stores diesel or gasoline, and the other tank, typically stored in the trunk, contains waste vegetable oil. When initially started, the engine draws petroleum fuel for a few minutes until the vegetable oil is heated and flowing freely. Once the vegetable oil is ready to be used, the engine draws fuel from the vegetable-oil tank. Two-tank systems are popular in colder climates because vegetable oil congeals in cold weather, and often needs time to warm up before it can properly burn. Cotter Mitchell, materials lab coordinator in the department of art and design, considered making the jump to a biodiesel car for the last two years, and he said the two-tank system would be necessary for him because of the cold Kansas winters. “You have to have a way to warm it up so it doesn’t turn into jelly,” Mitchell said. How much does it cost to convert a car? Greasecar.com provides customized biodiesel car kits for between $1,000 a
