My car runs on vegetable oil

johnhemming · Post by **johnhemming** » 27 Apr 2007, 18:35

I have run a similar system for about nine months.

http://johnhemming.blogspot.com/2006/08/few-photos.html

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 27 Apr 2007, 20:45

More importantly - it smells a lot butter than diesel exhaust! And no SO2.

Post by **mikepepler** » 13 Jun 2007, 14:02

We now have a date for the biofuel duty change: 30th June.

See here:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/excise-duty/brief4307.htm

Bedrock Barney · Post by **Bedrock Barney** » 01 Dec 2007, 19:45

Mike

How's the car running? Presume no problems with the conversion? Can I ask how many miles you've now covered on veg oil?

We're thinking about getting an old Range Rover diesel and converting to veg oil (I have the ability to get my hands on waste timber via my work from time to time and want to have a vehicle that can pull a decent load)

I note that you went down to smartveg route. Their system does look very professional. However I've noted that dieselveg http://www.dieselveg.com have upgraded their systems recently and appear to have a much neater control device now. I think their costs are pretty similar

Advice from any others who have been running on veg oil also much appreciated.

Cheers

Post by **mikepepler** » 01 Dec 2007, 21:01

Hi Barney,

No problems, after almost 2.5 years. I've done 30k+ miles since fitting, probably 70-80% of them on veg oil, and I ran on filtered waste oil for the first year or so. I'm using reject fresh oil at the moment.

The main reason I went for Smartveg was that I used to work nextdoor to them so it was easy to meet with them, discuss options and get the work done. I got it installed at prototype stage - their kit may be different now, but I don't think it's changed much.

Not sure I like the look of the dieselveg controller - the display plus switch on mine does everything theirs does, but also gives you the actual fuel level in the second tank, not just a warning when it's low. It also shows you the progress during flush, but that's more of a novelty feature, though it does prevent impatience!

I can't comment on the other systems though, as I've never seen one installed.

gug · Post by **gug** » 02 Dec 2007, 04:16

Has anyone noticed the retail price of SVO lately.

About 9 months ago it could be had for about 45p per litre.

I went into asda the other day, its now nearer 70 !

Thats an incredible increase in 6 months or so.

Post by **mikepepler** » 02 Dec 2007, 08:25

My local supplier has had the cost of reject fresh oil to them go up by 10p between August and now, equating to a 20% rise in cost to the customer once passed on. The market price is rising due to demand for food, animal feed, and biofuel.

gug · Post by **gug** » 04 Dec 2007, 01:11

My Local chippy gets peak veg oil/spuds/wheat !

greenfingers28 · Post by **greenfingers28** » 01 Jan 2008, 14:35

Hi everyone, sorry to barge in. This is my first post here, so the virtual drinks are on me.

I am trying to convert my diesel car to run on vegetable oil and have already bought the Smartveg conversion kit. The problem I have is that the recommended garage which converts cars is in Oxford and I am in London!!

I wouldn't be able to install it myself because I haven't a clue, but does anyone know of a place closer than Oxford which has experience of doing such a conversion? Any help would be much appreciated.

Post by **mikepepler** » 01 Jan 2008, 20:07

If your car isn't complicated, then I think they can do it in a day. I can recommend you an Oxfordshire pub to go and sit in while they do it!

After looking at what they did when they converted mine, I realised I could probably have done most of it myself, though I'd have involved a friend to double-check what I was doing.

fifthcolumn · Post by **fifthcolumn** » 13 Feb 2008, 13:05

mike:

Here's a half baked idea:

Try coming up with three or four phrases that don't have the worlds "peak oil" in there but mean the same thing and fit them in to every sentence randomly.

That way they will have to keep something in.

Post by **mikepepler** » 13 Feb 2008, 13:47

fifthcolumn wrote:mike:

Here's a half baked idea:

Try coming up with three or four phrases that don't have the worlds "peak oil" in there but mean the same thing and fit them in to every sentence randomly.

That way they will have to keep something in.

?? are you referring to media interviews? Sadly (?) I don't have any more lined up - I'm not that famous!

Post by **mikepepler** » 13 Mar 2008, 08:15

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.j ... uel113.xml

Budget 2008: Biofuel subsidy surprise
The Treasury aims to raise ?550m through the abolition of a biofuel subsidy in a move likely to undermine Alistair Darling's claims that he delivered a Budget for the environment.

Fuel producers, including giants like BP and Royal Dutch Shell, get a 20p per litre discount for selling biofuels. But this is being abolished, to be replaced by fines if companies do not meet targets for biofuel sales.
...
From 2010, the likes of BP and Shell will have to ensure that at least 5pc of their fuels are from renewables, with biofuels likely to be the main source, or face fines.

I wonder if they'll try to reverse the HMRC change for small producers being exempt? I'm guessing not, as they were losing money on enforcement.