Usage

         Vegetable oil, when used

as a fuel, can be used to power

modified diesel engines in cars,

farm equipment and as home

heating fuel.  Sometimes referred to

as straight vegetable oil(SVO) or waste vegetable oil(WVO), this kind of fuel

contains more energy than biodiesel and provides the same power output as

petroleum based diesel fuel[Distribution 1].  Unfortunately, vegetable oil fueled

cars are very uncommon.  It is estimated that there are about 8 to 10 thousand

automobiles in the U.S that are fueled by vegetable oil[Lengel 1]. 

                Aside from the fact that regular diesel cars are uncommon in the

U.S, the diesel cars that are available will not run off of straight vegetable oil. 

Rather, a special modification kit must be installed to a diesel automobile’s

engine before vegetable oil can be used as fuel.  To purchase and install one of

these kits can cost as much as $3,500[Robinson 1].  Another setback to the

advancement of vegetable oil fuels in cars is that it is currently illegal to install

vegetable oil conversion kits.  However, vegetable oil car kits are still available for

professional installation as the EPA guidelines dictating their illegality are rarely

enforced [WIKI-Vegetable_fuel].

                There are several financial advantages to vegetable oil that help to

offset its high initial costs.  One such advantage is that the vegetable oil fuel can

be obtained from restaurants that give away their used cooking oil free to anyone

who wants it.  Since vegetable oil powered cars are so uncommon and fast food

restaurants are so prevalent, obtaining free fuel is easy for most oil car

owners[Bruzek 1].  Secondly, vegetable oil achieves fuel economy that is

similar to regular petroleum based diesel fuel of about 40 miles per

gallon[Kiplinger 1]. A final advantage of vegetable oil fuel over other bio-derived

fuels is that it requires no further processing.  Vegetable oil can be taken directly

from the deep fryer and used in the automobile.  No extra energy is needed for

distillation (as in ethanol) or refinement (as needed in biodiesel production)

[Groszko ].

                Additional down sides of vegetable oil are that is does not perform

well at extreme low temperatures.  In cold climates vegetable oil tends to thicken

and can even freeze.  To get around these issues, vegetable oil is often heated

in cold weather before it is fed into the fuel system, thus avoiding any possibility

of damaging the engine[Robinson ].   Finally, since the U.S Environmental

Protection Agency has declared vegetable oil car conversions illegal,

commercial vegetable oil production for use as car fuel is relatively non-existent.

Rather, fueling a vegetable oil car remains a more clandestine process of

cooperation with local restaurants.