Few industries have suffered so badly from a veritable sea of external forces as the automotive industry in the last 10 years or so. Certain sectors of the industry had been slow to catch up with trends through the 80s and 90s, and had become too reliant on multiple vehicle ranges and inefficient practices. The industry has been hammered by increased foreign competition, burgeoning fuel prices, regulations, environmental issues and the great recession.
In 1990, the revision to the Clean Air Act specified that fuels become more sustainable and that manufacturers begin replacing petro diesel engines with low sulphur alternatives. At that time, certain states had already restricted diesel engine sales, but this situation is likely to rectify as diesel pollution now slows. However, other factors were also at work and the terrorist attacks of 2001 only served to remind us how we relied on far-off foreign countries for our fuel needs. We must look for alternative fuel sources to satisfy our economic, environmental and energy security requirements.
Equipment manufacturers have designed diesel engines and internal components much more suitable to the requirements of low sulphur diesel and alternative biodiesel. Nowadays, biodiesel fuel is gaining widespread acceptance and during the last decade production grew by over 700%.
The great recession has considerably changed the face of the US auto industry. One of their big three manufacturers is now owned by a European company, Fiat, and it seems likely that we will see an influx of vehicles based on European platforms and wholly more efficient than what we have seen there previously. Diesel engine cars are very much in evidence in European countries and there is no reason to assume that we will not see a pick-up in sales there as well. While this happens, biodiesel, as a reliable alternative will undoubtedly push forward as well. Biodiesel may compare to conventional diesel, price wise, but the former represents a better option for the health of both our people and the planet.
Contrary to popular belief, biodiesel is not an experimental fuel. It is the only fuel fully certified by the EPA and can be traced back to the 1930s. Auto manufacturers are quite happy to see biodiesel used in diesel engine vehicles as long as the biodiesel is manufactured to internationally accepted standards, and will not void a warranty if you do so. Indeed, biodiesel has a higher lubricity than petro diesel and will help to ensure the longevity of your engine.
While distribution stations are few and far between, the fuel is yet to gain widespread acceptance. Entrepreneurs should consider production and think about making biodiesel fuel commercially available for all of us. Indeed, many who start off with homemade biodiesel move up to the production of this fuel in their local environments. It is possible to obtain certification from the EPA once you have mastered the task of producing the fuel reliably, and to progress by selling it to an increasingly interested public. Biodiesel is a superb alternative fuel, and it’s certainly an option which could radically change our impact on the Earth, perhaps more quickly than we might realise.
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