Biofuels
The availability of biofuels as a real alternative for conventional fuels like oil and natural gas might be even better than you think. Quite often regular petrol and diesel is already blended with a percentage of bioethanol or biodiesel. And most car manufacturers produce biofuel cars that are no different from regular cars in price or performance. There are good reasons to consider driving on biofuels:
Sustainable energy
Unlike regular oil and gas, which we will eventually run out of, biofuels are sustainable. The materials that are used to produce biofuels can be grown on farmland. So in theory the supply of biofuels is unlimited.
CO2 reduction
Compared to conventional petrol and gas, the production and usage of biofuels produces less CO2.
Your economy
Producing and using biofuels decreases the dependency on the import of conventional oil. They can be produced in your own backyard. In fact, chances are that biofuels are already produced in an area near you by farmers, refineries and distributors contributing to your local and national economy.
If you want to learn more about biofuels, please read the brochures explaining more about each of the fuel types. We also invite you to come and visit us when the Biomotion Tour is in a town near you to talk to the people and inspect the cars up-close!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a converted car?
- For most of the fuels you can convert your car. However, most major car-manufacturers have stock models that are meant to be powered by biofuels.
- What is the cost of Biofuel?
- The cost of the fuels are different by country.
Main biofuel types
Plant Oil
Although a converted diesel car can run on the edible plant oil that is also used to cook food, lower quality oil is usually used for this purpose. Pure Plant Oil (PPO) is produced specifically for use as a fuel and its production is similar to that of the edible plant oils. With some modification most diesel engines are suitable for the use of PPO.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is the most common biofuel in Europe. It is produced from products like vegetable oil, soy, sunflower oil or palm oil. Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is available in blends as well as in pure form (B100). A 5% Biodiesel blend is widely used in Europe but modern diesel engines are built so they can run on B100. In some countries Biodiesel is less expensive than conventional diesel.
Bioethanol
Ethanol fuel is the most common biofuel worldwide. It is produced from crops like corn or wheat or any sugar that alcoholic beverages can also be made from. Most existing petrol engines can run on regular petrol blended with Bioethanol. In fact, today petrol is regularly blended with Bioethanol so you might have already driven your car on Biofuel without even being aware of it!
Common cars can run on blends of up to 15% Bioethanol, Flexifuel engines run on blends of up to 85% (E85).
Biogas
Biogas can be produced from biodegradable waste materials, energy crops and manure. It is produced by the biological fermentation of these materials. The byproduct is used as a fertilizer. Biogas can replace the natural gas that is commonly used to fuel cars.