About the Vegetable Oil Car
Things you want to know about the car that runs on bio-diesel from cooking oil, from its fuel developers, Earth 100, who are working on fuels that are low on emissions and cost but high on performance.
Its fuel developers, EARTH 100, who are working their ass off to come up with fuels that are low on emissions and cost, but are high on performance. Inputs by Megha Rathee, Director, Earth-100 Biofuels.
So we can steal vegetable oil from our mum’s kitchen and fuel this car?
Yes, it is the same oil used for cooking. However, it needs to be cleaned and treated to make it into bio-diesel, because any sort of fuel has to conform to the standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
How exactly do you treat the oil?
The treatment differs from one source of oil to another because every source has different levels of fat content, which is turned into fuel.
What are the changes one needs to make to run their car on bio-diesel?
Nothing you can see from the outside. There are just minor changes to the filters and the rubber parts in the engine. The car as such just looks, feels and performs like a normal car. Even better than that in fact.
How come better?
Bio-diesel has less emissions and costs roughly ₹55/litre, which is at par with CNG and only a rupee more than diesel, that too without subsidy. They also increase the life of the engine because they double up as a lubricant.
How much lesser are the emissions?
70% less than your normal fuel. Particulate matter emissions are almost nil. We once did a handkerchief test on our cars to check the emissions, wherein we covered the silencer with a white handkerchief and switched on the engine for sometime. The handkerchief hardly had stains after the test, so it’s THAT CLEAN.
Why don’t we see cars running on bio-diesel more often?
Because these oils are not mass-produced.
Why is that?
There is no single source of bio-diesel that is sufficient to fuel the nation. Till the time the government does not support the alternate fuel industry, bio-diesel production shall remain a small enterprise. We cannot take the risk of mass-producing bio-diesel vehicles without adequate fuel sources and fuel companies cannot mass-produce fuel without adequate demand.
But the vegetable oil is in abundance, right? Tell us how many canters of Dhara do you need?
We like the idea, but don’t want to threaten the supply of edible oil.
Does that mean we will never be able to run our cars on bio-diesel?
Not anytime soon.
What’s the point of developing such a fuel if one can’t use it?
Individuals can’t buy such cars because a separate fuel station that adheres to all safety requirements needs to be set up at the site where the car is parked and that would cost a bomb.
This car was also displayed in Auto Expo, 2012, so what changes have you incorporated since?
Mahindra, the maker of these cars, has incorporated an in-tank heating system to solve the issue of biofuel becoming highly viscous in sub 8-degree temperatures. This is especially useful for us as our prime area of operations is Delhi NCR, which sees cold winters.
How it works: Seeds are extracted, dried, and then crushed. Then the oil from a fatty acid is turned into the fuel.
From the March 2014 issue of FHM India.
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