If you have sticker shock at the gas pump and don't have enough money for a fancy new hybrid, there's another way to cut your fuel expenses if you're willing to get your hands a little greasy. The answer is simple: Buy a used diesel vehicle and run it on waste vegetable oil, also commonly referred to as WVO. Restaurants have to pay to have their used vegetable oil from the deep fryers recycled, so with a little sweet talking, you can get free WVO to power your diesel vehicle. It's a win-win for everyone.
Why a Used Diesel Vehicle?
Unlike gasoline engines, diesel engines don't rely on a spark plug to ignite the fuel. Instead, they utilize compression to burn the fuel. This means diesel engines can utilize a wide variety of fuels, including vegetable oil, used motor oil and automatic transmission fluid, as long as they're filtered properly. A used diesel vehicle is ideal to reduce the upfront cost, because you'll need some engine modifications for the vehicle to run properly. Also, some manufacturers will void the warranty once you install a secondary fuel system for vegetable oil so it's best to do it on an older car that has no warranty to avoid any warranty disputes.