Biodiesel – green fuel
You may have noticed the introduction of biodiesel fuel pumps at your local petrol station over the last couple of years but been put off by a lack of knowledge about this ‘green’ alternative. There is also the concern that your car’s performance might be adversely affected by a change of fuel.
However, it’s no secret that the world’s resources are not going to last forever and that we all need to do our bit to ease the burden on the environment.
Biofuel is not derived from crude oil that has to be imported from overseas, but is produced from sustainable vegetable oils, such as rapeseed, and some of which are recycled.
A number of formulae with different proportions of regular diesel to biodiesel have been tried and tested over the years. We’re now in a position whereby a biodiesel that can be used in most vehicles is readily available on the supermarket forecourts. Plenty of consumers are switching their allegiance to this eco-friendly solution.
Tests indicate that Biodiesel does not have an effect on a car’s performance and that it even offers the added benefit of enabling a vehicle to start without difficulty in very cold weather. if made from 100% rapeseed oil. It also produces a less fierce idling noise than traditional diesel fuels.
In addition, it reduces engine wear, which has to be good in the longer term.
If the sustainability of biodiesel is not enough to convert you, the greatest benefit of this ‘eco’ fuel has to be that emissions are reduced, so users are minimising the environmental impact of their driving. Most importantly, they are reducing the negative effect on the air we breathe.
Anyone who has taken a walk down their local High Street recently should be grateful for this benefit, as the emissions from idling cars in traffic queues can prove to be quite stifling.
A number of car manufacturers have endorsed biofuels as safe to use across their model ranges. It seems likely that other manufacturers will join them, following the completion of their compatibility tests. Certain manufacturers are even promoting biodiesel as the need for sustainable alternatives grows and we become more responsible consumers and motorists.