Biodiesel & E85 Ethanol Facts

Biodiesel is a non-petroleum based diesel fuel consisting of short chain alkyl esters usually produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats. Biodiesel is one hundred percent biodegradable and non-toxic. Biodiesel is also a lot better for the environment then other sources of fuel producing sixty percent less carbon dioxide and ten percent less nitrogen oxide. Many automobile manufactures like the idea of using biodiesel in their cars however few companies have ever committed the engine to only function on biodiesel. Biodiesel is also a better solvent then standard diesel so there is less wear on the engine. Many European cars are starting to use biodiesel. Most Volkswagens and Audis will function on one hundred percent biodiesel. Biodiesel is cheaper and more efficient for the environment and for the consumer's pocket.

Biodiesel is a domestically produced, clean-burning, renewable substitute for petroleum diesel and can be used in conventional diesel engines, directly substituting for or extending supplies of traditional petroleum diesel. Using biodiesel as a vehicle fuel increases energy security, improves public health and the environment, and provides safety benefits. It also has an excellent energy balance: biodiesel contains 3.2 times the amount of energy it takes to produce it.

Ethanol is another renewable transportation fuel primarily made from starch crops, such as corn. It is also made from sugar beets and cane or cellulosic materials, such as fast-growing trees and grasses. Nearly one-third of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol in a low-level blend to reduce air pollution.

E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture that usually contains eighty five percent denatured fuel ethanol and fifteen percent gasoline. E85 is very popular in Sweden and other European countries however in America there are only eight hundred filling stations across the entire country. E85 should become more popular in America due to our surplus of corn in the mid-west. E85 is intended to be used with a higher powered engine then normal however since it is a mixture with gasoline the engine could see catastrophic wear in a short amount of time. E85 is about forty percent cheaper then regular gasoline and is better for the environment by releasing less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Several emerging vehicle fuels are in early stages of development. Although little experience has been accumulated using most of these fuels in vehicles, each promises benefits in the form of increased energy security, reduced emissions, higher performance, or economic stimulus.