AUG 21

On September 22, two guys in a biodiesel-drinking Jetta are going to drive from Midtown Manhattan to Los Angeles without ever stopping for fuel. And they’re going to do it in two days.

The Jetta is equipped with a primary tank and a second high-capacity tank…as in, a giant extra tank…and the Bio Willie brand biodiesel put in the tank in Manhattan is expected to get them all the way to LA.

The whole point of WillieRun ’08 is to draw attention to the fact that there are other options out there for fuel efficiency than hybrids.

Biodiesel is great in that a little bit goes a long way because of the energy density, and it is carbon neutral. However, there is still the notion of using food for fuel, since biodiesel often comes from corn or soy. But, we know there are several potential ways to get around this, using non-food-based feedstock for biodiesel.

Considering biodiesel is a whole lot better than gas, it’d awesome to be able to get from one end of the states to the other without having to stop for refills.

We think it’s a pretty cool publicity stunt and if it hits the mainstream, will accomplish the goal of the creators. If you also think it’s a cool idea, you might be able to get in on the action for next year’s race.

Comments (6)

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Biodiesel From Corn?!
written by DriftingSon, August 21, 2008

Ethanol comes from corn, which takes away from the food supply most dramatically. Biodiesel comes from soybeans or Jatropha or Rapeseed, Algae, etc. But I've not heard of biodiesel being made from corn.

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Corn?
written by Robert Wood, August 21, 2008

Biodiesel can be made from corn oil. It is not often done but it can be. Now if you really want some more info on the food v fuel issue you can check out some of the posts at www.bidforgreen.com

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Can Willie Save America?
written by bob bobberson, August 22, 2008

Just thinking about this is awesome. At 40 miles a gallon and 2770 miles from LA to NY the jetta would use only 70 gallons of biodiesel. I want a diesel jetta now. Just if you jump back to a previous article about camelina sativa, it says somewhere "100 gallons of camelina oil per acre" So does that mean it took less than 1 acre of biocrop to go from NY to LA? (excluding the resources that went into making the jetta). Does this mean its more environmentally sound to drive two people than to fly hundreds? Hmm

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Real Diesel
written by Karsten, August 22, 2008

While Rudolf Diesel designed his engine to run on vegetable oil, this coast-to-coast trip should also demonstrate that even "regular" Diesel used wisely is still a reasonable option to move about. "Wisely" meaning in a small (by European standards) car that is driven very conservatively, and only when other options are not reasonable (not necessarily more expensive).

In my opinion, NOT driving across the country or any other long distance trip is more reasonable in most cases. Yes, I am telling you that staying home and NOT (gasp!) living the American dream of personal long-distance travel is better. Our freedoms cannot be unlimited if you want to live sustainably. Not with 6.5 billion people wanting to live like North Americans. Certainly, there is no problem to do as you please if you just do a little good to "look" green for your family or friends.

But I may be talking to the wrong people here. EcoGeeks care and are not afraid to change their habits dramatically and live on the fringes of North American society in order to do the right thing rather than the easy thing.

Karsten
http://www.pollutless.com
Practical Advice to Pollute Less

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...
written by Jacob, August 23, 2008

au contraire Karsten, I am not willing to stop enjoying life, and spend my time within 50km of where I wake up each day, not eat meat, and live without any form of luxury, simply because it's unsustainable. I'd rather waste renewable energy with all the lights on in the house, drive around the countryside in an electric or hydrogen vehicle, and eat meat produced organically in a sustainable fashion, than reduce myself to a rationale in which my own demise is the best thing I could possibly do for the environment.

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Well,
written by Karsten, August 25, 2008

...you would be one of the people who choose the easy way. You are not alone. And billions more will join you in their quest for fun I am afraid.

What makes you think living simply is to be described as a "demise"?

Sooner or later it has to happen. "Unsustainable" has a habit of forcing its ways on you. I rather learn in advance how to deal with it than party on until the rough awakening. But that is just me.

Karsten
http://www.polluteless.com

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