Eat My Voltage

Today I spotted a bumper sticker, “Eat My Voltage” on the back of a Toyota Prius Hybrid. Cute sticker. Not so cute car unless you are into awkward proportions.

For people trying to be environmentally friendly with their auto purchase the choices are basically a very high fuel mileage car, a electric-gas hybrid or a diesel. The cars with very fuel mileage tend to be really small and spartan. Hybrids are offered from Asian and American manufacturers. So far the American versions are more efficient versions of gas hogging SUVs. Many non-hybrid vehicles get better mileage than American hybrids.

Europeans are developing high-tech diesels. In the US we only get diesels from Volkswagen and Mercedes. Jeep is introducing a diesel Liberty. On the other side of the pond you’ll find diesels from Jaguar, BMW and American vehicles such as the Jeep Cherokee.

I tend to prefer European designed cars as evidenced by my current Audi A4 and my prior VW Golf, two Saabs and three Volvos. All except one have been manual transmissions. Three have been turbocharged. Most have also had factory sunroofs. The Audi has their legendary Quattro all-wheel drive system which I really like.

If you’ve got fifty grand to spend on a new car I recommend the new Mercedes E320 CDI sedan. I know of no other vehicle that can offer over 200hp, 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds and 37mpg on the highway. Hopefully Mercedes will offer a wagon version of this diesel so I can buy a used one in 8 years or so.

Volkswagon offers the biggest selection of diesels with your choice of the Golf, Jetta (sedan & wagon), New Beetle, and Passat (sedan & wagon). My next car purchase will likely be a 2006 VW Golf TDI. This is due to the new diesel that will be available in summer 2006.

This will bring our diesel fuel in line with the type available in Europe and will significantly reduce emissions. This low sulfur diesel will also permit diesel trucks & buses sold after 2007 to be equipped with emissions equipment. The more cars in the area that are diesel the more likely we are to see a biodiesel station.

Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Biodiesel isn’t some liberal West coast movement. The center of activity is in, of all places, Jefferson City. Yes, the Missouri capital city is where the biodiesel trade organization, the National Biodiesel Board is located. Currently most biodiesel is sold in rural areas for use in farm equipment. The most well known biodiesel is singe/songwriter Willie Nelson:

Most biodiesel currently available is a blend, typically 10% or 20% biodiesel which is referred to as B10 (or B1) and B20 (or B2), respectively. 100% biodiesel is available at a few places. The Biodiesel Board’s website includes a map of biodiesel retailers. In Missouri the rural farm towns have easy access to blends and if you are in Columbia or Jefferson City you’ve got a regular station to fill up. If you have a diesel boat at the Lake of the Ozarks you can fill up with biodiesel at the marina at the Lodge of Four Seasons. Hopefully some enterprising station owner in the St. Louis area will begin offering biodiesel.

So here is the fun part. Typically conservative farmers are leading the charge to replace our dependence on foreign oil. Go figure. Nelson, a legend in the conservative circles of country music, endorsed Dennis Kucinich for President in 2004. Maybe there is hope in the red states.

– Steve