by Russ Egan
The thought of someone pulling into their local fast food store and filling up their car with used vegetable oil may sound absurd, but it is happening all over the world.
Car owners who have a diesel car are beginning to realize that diesel engines were originally designed to run on peanut oil, and they are taking full advantage of this fact. All over the United States, drivers are receiving free vegetable oil from fast food chains.
Because of this use of oil, people have begun to label these types of vehicles as ‘Grease Cars.’
While using this kind of system used to be considered only for the environmental benefits, it is now looked on as an economic advantage as well. Lots of restaurants usually have to pay to get rid of their kitchen waste, so fuel for your car has never been so convenient. A lot of restaurants and cafes are even willing to give away used oil!
Grease Cars are also good for the environment. The only emmisions are the smells of the foods that were cooked in the oil. One day it could be pork, the next chicken.
Vegetable oil is renewable, and does not give off any dangerous substances like normal diesel cars do. In modern society, cars are the biggest contributors to pollution, but by using vegetable oil much of this is eliminated. There is no carbon dioxide produced, and the carbon monoxide levels are minimal.
Only a small amount of diesel is needed to run these kinds of vehicles for several minutes to heat the oil before it can be used, and for several minutes after driving to clean the fuel lines. Grease Car drivers say that they experience no loss in acceleration, speed, or overall performance.
Read here about what some enthusiasts say about their beloved vehicles.
With all these benefits it seems strange that everyone is not converting their cars to run on vegetable oil. Minimal changes are required, and there are even some organizations that can do this for you. GreaseCar.com even sells do-it-yourself kits.
It is estimated that over 5,000 people in the United States alone use straight vegetable oil in their cars, and I’m sure that figure would be even larger if it included the entire world. But unfortunately, petrol powered cars cannot be converted to use oil as a fuel.
Vegetable oil is easily available, cheap and environmentally safe, so an increase in the number of Grease Cars in the future is inevitable. If you drive a diesel-powered car and you really want to save money on fuel then start thinking of your local Chinese restaurant as your take-away fuel supplier too.