The BioFuel Oasis
Melissa Hardy is one of six women who own and operate BioFuel Oasis, a Berkeley station founded in 2003 that sells only biodiesel fuel. The business is a six-way partnership that is run with a community-based approach and alternative to gas stations.
"It's a necessity that needed to be provided in this area of the country where there are early adopters of technology," she said. Hardy owns a 2000 Volkswagen TDI Beetle and averages 45 miles per gallon running entirely on biofuel.
BioFuel Oasis' owners are concerned about both the environmental and political aspects of U.S. dependence on foreign oil to create fuel. Hardy and her co-owners feel hybrid power plants don't go far enough toward solving the problem.
"Hybrids still use petroleum, and that contribution to oil companies and to foreign oil and war is not an attractive alternative," Hardy said.
But biofuel takes work and isn't yet practical for every climate. When temperatures get cold, biofuel can become jellylike, similar to a bottle of oil-based salad dressing in the refrigerator. This can severely reduce engine efficiency. To avoid this, petroleum-based diesel fuel is mixed with biodiesel in a technique called splashing. Additionally, if biofuel is repeatedly spilled on the car's exterior during fill-up, it can wear away the paint. (See "Exploring Biodiesel.")
Drivers can alternate biofuel and regular diesel, but this often clogs the fuel filter. So BioFuel Oasis conducts filter changing workshops.
"If you switch petroleum diesel and regular biodiesel a lot, it can dissolve into chunks and clog the fuel filter. You can change the fuel filter for your car to avoid that," Hardy explained. To protect themselves from clogged fuel lines, BioFuel Oasis recommends that biodiesel users carry fuel filters in the car.
BioFuel Oasis' own diesel is almost entirely biofuel. In California, biofuel that contains low amounts of petroleum can only be sold to cars registered in a fleet. The Oasis now has 750 cars and trucks registered.
What makes biofuel most identifiable is its odor, which is not necessarily an unpleasant smell. For the women at BioFuel Oasis, that's one of its merits.
"I think it smells like barbeque, but some people say French fries and doughnuts. When people are pulling in and out, I oftentimes feel hungry," Hardy said.
While biodiesel is causing a stir among environmentally conscious diesel car owners, it does require more effort and expense on the part of the consumer. Until it's more widely available, higher fuel economy will continue to be the main attraction of owning a car with a diesel engine.
As manufacturers take an interest in pumping biodiesel themselves, it is possible that biodiesel will become a leader in the eco-friendly category. Jeep Liberty CRDs arrive from the factory running on a 5-percent biodiesel blend, and VW has approved the use of up to 20-percent biodiesel in its diesel cars while maintaining warranty coverage.