Look for This Cleaner Fuel for Regular Cars

This fuel requires no engine modifications, but burns better.

By Brian Clark Howard

If you have a diesel car or truck, look for a fueling station that offers a biodiesel blend, which requires no modifications in your engine. There are currently more than 1,000 such stations across the country, and more are popping up all the time, spurred by state incentives, concern for air quality and climate change and consumer interest.

Diesel engines are up to 40 percent more fuel-efficient than gasoline ones, and biodiesel emits 78 percent less carbon dioxide (CO₂) than petroleum diesel, as well as less carbon monoxide. The good news is that blends of 5, 10 or 20 percent biodiesel, with the remainder petroleum diesel, can be burned as-is in existing diesel engines, so you don't need to do anything different. These fuels are called, respectively, B5, B10 and B20.

Also note that, except perhaps in the very coldest climates, biodiesel blends up to B20 can generally be used year round. Pure biodiesel gets too viscous at low temperatures, and requires dilution or a special warming kit installed in your vehicle.

Ideally, choose biodiesels that are made from recycled oils, which consume a waste product, instead of those that are made from dedicated "fuel crops" like corn or soybeans. Given industrial farming's intensity, the energy economics don't favor the later type.

Easily find a biodiesel station wherever you are with NearBio's online, and mobile device-enabled, locating tool.

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