This is actually old news that recently resurfaced, and as a lifelong Cougar aficionado I can’t pass it up. In actuality, the Mercury Cougar was a refined, “gentleman’s muscle car” based on the 1st generation Mustang. It came standard with a number of gas-guzzling V8 motors including the epic “Boss” 302.

But the pristine-looking 1967 Cougar pictured here has done away with those gas hogs in favor of a Mercedes turbodiesel motor that runs on, you guessed it, biodiesel.

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Ten Things I’ve Learn About Driving A Car Powered by Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO)

What makes a seemingly rational guy, who can afford to drive pretty much whatever car he wants to, trade in his shiny, new Audi for a 27-year old Mercedes 240D that runs on waste or straight vegetable oil (WVO/SVO)?  Well, in my case, someone took the time to call me out on my level of willingness to make a difference–or at least try to.

In late 2007, my partner and I took on a brand development project for a fledgling, Washington DC-based hybrid limousine company. These guys were not only driven by a real desire to reduce their industry’s carbon footprint, but also to engage with the theoretical decision makers on Capital Hill. Every week, we’d be on these long conference calls, where I would inevitably begin to complain about the escalating price of gasoline and the perils of foreign oil dependency.  Finally, one of these brave entrepreneurs told me to shut up and do something about.

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For all of us, “Going Green” means something different. Whether it is just changing the light bulbs in your house or going completely off the grid, every little bit helps. But for some people, changing the world is a full time job, and a full time job requires a company car.

Or a bus. Enter the Solar Bus.

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Like many small business owners, Jose Duarte, Chef/Owner of Taranta, in Boston, MA, is constantly looking for ways to control costs in an economic climate that has no sympathy for the little guy. Fortunately for Duarte, discovering ways to trim his operating overhead also led to a “greening of Taranta.”

“I was looking for ways to cut our costs and I stumbled upon an article about these people running their diesel cars and trucks on fryer oil. I figured that was a good place to start,” said Duarte.

Calculating that he could save a few thousand dollars a year on the fuel costs he incurred from daily runs to his seafood vendors, Duarte turned to Boston-based Green Grease Monkey for advice on converting the restaurant’s Chevy Silverado to run on WVO.

Now he recycles not only his own grease, but that of the  restaurants owned by several of his friends.

What was admittedly at first an experiment, turned into an obsession, with Duarte becoming increasingly more involved in the environmental impact of his business. After implementing a series of changes and upgrades to the restaurant, including an in-house carbonating system that enables them to make their own sparkling water supply, a recycling/composting program, and a move to utilizing more organic ingredients, Taranta received the City of Boston’s Green Business Award for 2008.

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Peret’s team says the Vegawatt system is more than just a basic generator. The device, which is about the size of consumer-size refrigerator, includes a turn-key waste vegetable oil (WVO) refinery that automatically transforms even the most disgusting used cooking oil into fuel appropriate to supply up to 25% of the electrical power a restaurant requires for lights and hot water.

I had a chance to speak with Ben Prentice, VP of Sales at Owl, who gave me the low-down on the Vegawatt.

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There is a LOT out there on the web regarding the proper blending of WVO, diesel, kerosene, etc. After several weeks of reading several hundred blogs and forum posts, here is what I’ve deduced: Nobody really knows.

And here’s what else I’ve deduced…it really doesn’t matter.  I’ve put every conceivable combination into my single-tank 240D. With the exception of a slight increase in power when using a higher ratio of dyno-diesel, there is no significant difference in performance or MPG.

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I’m often asked what kind of oil works best, so here’s a quick reference guide to different kinds of grease for your driving pleasure.

Waste vegetable oil gathered from restaurants is definitely not all the same. Or rather, by the time you get them, they have not all been “used” the same. So far, over the past six months, here’s what I’ve deduced:

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When Greg Steltenpohl, Chairman and Co-founder of Adina, the San Francisco-based healthy beverage company, does something, one might say he takes it to the extreme.

His company’s tagline, “Drink No Evil”, even applies to their vehicles — including a delivery fleet of electric cars and full-size school bus converted to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO), which Adina uses at their tasting events.

I recently had a chance to interview him about his company’s transportation options. Several interesting topics popped up in our chat, including corporate responsibility, greenwashing, and the importance of outreach. Read on to hear more.

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A Texas-based company has announced the “world’s first mini-refinery” for consumer use that can produce both ethanol and biodiesel from the same small machine at the same time. It’s capable of generating up to 120 gallons per day of ethanol and 450 gallons per day of biodiesel.

Consisting of two pieces of equipment — an ethanol boiler and the mini-refinery — the whole system can fit into an area of less than 30 square feet with 8 feet of clearance and is completely automated.

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But recycled grease represents a source of cheap energy to some, one that can be converted to biodiesel or used directly as a substitute for diesel fuel. Having collected waste oil for both of these ends, I can tell you I’ve always had a nagging suspicion that one day the ‘free’ ride would come to a screeching halt. It just wasn’t clear how soon it would end.

Some parts of the country are now facing fierce competition over this generally unknown but ubiquitous local resource. The Associated Press has dubbed it the “Grease Wars”:

Recycled cooking oil has traditionally been sold for use in cattle feed and cosmetics. But the segment going to biofuels has grown in recent years to account for about 20 percent of the used oil market, said Tyson Keever, co-founder of Sequential Pacific Biofuels, the state’s largest manufacturer of biodiesel.

Portland’s oil peddlers are now fighting over grease worth as much as $1.20 a gallon. “You have processors now in the metro area who are looking at using that grease for biodiesel primarily,” said Mike McCallum, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant Association. “There are restaurants who are being solicited for the use of the grease and are getting some money for it.” The result in the long run may be more expensive biodiesel at the pump.

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We call our 1982 Volkswagen Vanagon a "volksvegan" because it is a diesel that my boyfriend modified to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO). This trip has been in the back of our minds since we began looking for a diesel VW over a year ago. Once we finally found one of the rare diesel Vanagons (and my boyfriend drove it from Atlanta, where he bought it, up to Idaho), we immediately began researching and installing a kit from Greasecar that would allow us to run it on veggie oil we collected from local restaurants.

It has been quite a process getting her roadworthy, but after installing a new turbo engine, a second tank and system for the grease, and replacing parts on our old bus bit by bit (including installing the all-important hemp/organic cotton pop-top canvas), we are finally ready to hit the road for the ultimate test of this experimental sustainable fuel.

Now, I'm no scientist, and I'm certainly no mechanic, but here's my understanding of how WVO works… WVO is more sustainable than diesel or gas because it is making use of a waste product that would otherwise be thrown away. Also, it is a closed-loop system, like biodiesel, because it is made from plants that help reduce CO2 while creating oxygen. This way, the emissions from burning the WVO (which are much less than normal diesel or gas) are offset by the plants that created the oil.

Any diesel can easily be converted to a WVO car with a little know-how and a conversion kit (bought or homemade). There are several companies that offer conversion kits, and as I mentioned, we got ours from Greasecar. The conversion consists of a second tank for the WVO, an in-line filter as well as a pre-filtering system, and valves that control whether the car is running on diesel or WVO. Just don't ask me how to install it — my boyfriend did all the grunt work! The car must be started on diesel (we use biodiesel in our diesel tank whenever we can get it), and run for just long enough to warm up the WVO until it reaches the same viscosity as diesel. Coolant lines help heat the WVO, and in the summer especially, it usually only takes a bit before we can flip a switch on our dash and start running on WVO.

We have noticed that running on WVO gets us about the same mileage as diesel (for our bus, this is around 30 miles per gallon) and the engine actually runs a bit quieter since the WVO acts as a lubricant. And yes, it does smell like french fries!

After converting our car and learning about WVO, we began planning for the ultimate road trip. We had been wanting to leave Idaho for quite some time, but we weren't sure where we'd like to end up. So we decided to visit the places we were interested in moving to (and do a lot of camping and backpacking along the way) on one big volksvegan adventure. Once the decision was made, we quit our jobs, sold or stored almost all our belongings, and hit the road.

Our first stop was just 300 miles away in Boise, Idaho, where we both grew up (and where my parents were kind enough to offer some storage space and watch my cat for the summer). We quickly ran into a few kinks when our volksvegan overheated because of a coolant hose leak. Once in Boise, we scrambled to fix the leak before heading to Portland for my cousin's wedding. It was a long trip there, because we found out that the coolant reservoir was also leaking! So in Portland, more parts had to be tracked down, and soon the coolant system was fixed. We headed back to Boise (for another wedding!) and stopped in the Mt. Hood Wilderness to camp. Once back in Boise, we took the bus in to a shop because she wasn't starting up very well, and after dealing with a grumpy mechanic who didn't understand the WVO system or want to work on the bus because of it, we finally got some new glow plugs installed and had everything checked out so that it would start up reliably.

We played the waiting game in Boise for a bit, but while we were there, we did find some WVO thanks to a web site called FillUp4Free. Using our mobile pump and filtration system, we're filtering the WVO and now we're really ready to hit the road! Our next stop will be Yellowstone National Park, where we'll meet a friend before heading up through Montana and Glacier National Park to Canada. We'll also be checking out Oregon and Northern California (where we should have no problems finding WVO), although there is no concrete plan. We'll go wherever the WVO takes us!

Unfortunately, since we'll be on the road with an unpredictable schedule, I must take a hiatus from my weekly art & design column here on Green Options. We did start a web site for our trip though, so feel free to follow our journey at volksvegan.org. I'll update it whenever I can, and may even post now and then on Green Options to share what I'll be learning about sustainable travel and green living on the road. Until the volksvegan adventure leaves us settled in somewhere new, happy trails!

3. Get a car that’s right for you. You’ve got your grease, now you’ll need a car.  Only a diesel will do for WVO/SVO.  If fact the original fuel used by Rudolf Diesel when he first unveiled his newfangled contraption was rapeseed oil.  In most cases, older cars seem to work better for WVO conversions, which is why a fair share of the WVO/SVO cars on the road today are older Mercedes or VW’s.  However, many newer model diesel cars and trucks make great candidates for conversion — just be careful of warranty and compatibility issues. Most importantly, you should determine what level of creature comforts you’ll demand from your car, especially if it is your daily driver. My rig, being the ancient relic it is, has no A/C, no radio, no interior lights, no airbags, and no anti-lock brakes.  Those things are all great, but I quickly found I didn’t need them. You may require more amenities, especially in the safety department, and that’s fine. Get yourself something made in then nineties or, better yet, in this century.  My wife won’t event get behind the wheel of my grease car, which can and has caused its fair share of issues. She doesn’t feel safe in my pre-airbag beauty. She’s also not used to the incredible lack of horsepower that running an already dog-like diesel car on grease generates. She just doesn’t like the feeling of having to “Fred Flintstone-it” in my 240D.  My next WVO car will certainly be a newer model.  And remember, converting a new diesel car will surely result in a voided warranty. Do that at your own risk. Ebay is a good place to start looking for previously converted diesel cars.

4. Single or Double Tank? WVO conversions typically come in two varieties–single or double tank. Single tanks conversions kits are rather simple in their operation. Grease, diesel, or biodiesel can all be added to the tank in any combination, free to happily slosh around and commingle as they see fit.  The fuel is pumped through a heated filter, where it achieves a viscosity akin to regular dino-diesel before it hits the fuel injectors.   Sounds simple because it is. The drawback to this system is that it is definitely not winter-friendly, which is why you rarely see these single-tankers on the East Coast. However, I chose this to use this system and, with the exception of two or three very cold days (sub-5 degrees), have had little trouble with my fuel freezing.

Double-tank conversions require a secondary tank in the trunk to hold your vegetable oil. The car is started on regular diesel while heating coils get your veg oil warmed up. When the oil reaches the appropriate temperature, you switch over to the grease. When it’s time to stop driving, you switch back to diesel to “flush” your engine clean. Too much work for me, but some folks swear by it.

5. Filtering your grease. There is a ton of controversy regarding how to manage your fuel. This perceived work is what stops many would-be greasers from taking the plunge. Again–keep it simple. Here is my weekly routine.  Pour the WVO through a 5 micron sock filter into a 55 gallon plastic drum. Let it sit for a day, and pump it into my car. No heating, no prolonged resting period. I just concentrate on getting the really nasty food bits out.  The water, being heavier that the oil, will settle to the bottom all on its own. I use a simple 12 volt fuel transfer pump that I bought online from a farm supply store for around $80. In fact, my total investment in fuel-related gear was about $250.

6. You will ruin some clothes. If you are a suit guy (I am), you will eventually destroy some clothes (I have).

7. Keep lots of cardboard around. Even the most careful person is bound to spill some oil…lots of it.  If you pick up your oil in bulk from a restaurant rather than in the 5 gallon cubes it originally came in (as pictured here), lay down plenty of cardboard so you don’t spill grease all over the restaurant’s parking lot. This is a sure way to tick off your supplier and put an end to your free fuel.

8. Time vs Money. Decide what your time is worth to you. We all have our time/value equation. Whether you’re a plumber, doctor, cashier, or whatever, there is usually a fixed value to your time. With a grease car, you will no longer pay for fuel at the pump like you did before. However, you will probably spend a few hours a week gathering, filtering, and pumping your grease.  Do the math. Figure out if this is worth your time. For some of us, there is more to it than the cash we save at the pump. Although that’s pretty good too.

9. You will meet and interact with some strange and wonderful people. Everyone will want to know how the hell a car can run on vegetable oil. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to stand there in the parking lot, smile politely, and explain to complete strangers why you’ve chosen this unusual path.

10. Ask for help. There are dozens of great resources (here for instance) to gather all the information, and then some, that you’ll ever need to make the WVO leap.  You’ll find that most greasers are very willing to help point you in the right direction.

Now go for it.

Image Credit: Robin Rarrick