Take the Biofuel Pledge

"If the BioTruck team can make it all the way to Timbuktu on Biodiesel, I pledge that my next tank will be Biofuel."

See who else has taken it.

What is Biodiesel

Biodiesels are fuels made from vegetable oils. They undergo a process called Trans-Etherification reacting with alcohol and this changes the molecular structure of the carbon chains to make them more suitable for running an engine.

It's worth knowing that most diesel engines could actually run on just vegetable oil, in fact Rudolf Diesel originally invented the Diesel engine to run on peanut oil. But modern engines are no longer optimized to run on vegetable oils because their low freezing point means they solidify in the fuel pump when the engine is switched off. Some motorists chose to mix vegetable oil with regular fossil diesel to get round this but it's risky to use more than 50% vegetable oil in the blend.

Correctly manufactured Biodiesel has the same properties as fossil diesel so ANY car can run on it without any modifications. Experts say that biodiesel burns more efficiently in the engine giving better performance and economy, and it burns with fewer toxic pollutants compared to fossil diesel.

Another big myth surrounding biodiesel is that it's illegal to use because it avoids fuel tax. Since mid 2007 the law in the UK has changed to allow individuals to use up to 2,500 litres of biodiesel a year Tax Free. In practice this is more than enough fuel to cover 15,000 miles. There's no forms to fill out, motorists can fill up and go.

Confusingly some fuel companies have started selling so called “biodiesel” at their filling stations. These are actually blends where the biodiesel makes up as little as 5% and the rest is fossil diesel. While this is a step in the right direction, motorists can be doing a lot more if they want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Want to comment on the contents of this page?

The Expedition set off from the UK on the 26th of November and arrived in Timbuktu on the 26th of December 2007.

Tell us what you think of the BioTurck Expedition.

Share your carbon-cutting ideas with us.

Keep up to date with the BioTruck

Sign up for the newsletter and be the first to know when the site has new video, photos and articles about our Carbon-Negative adventure.

We won't share your email with anyone, just send you updates and tell you about future expeditions.