Amazing bio-diesel 100-series; full photos

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

(Note: we know it's a diesel but there are more 100 owners with petrol than diesel so I'm posting this here basically to show off the truck)

4WD Toyota Owner magazine is helping sponsor this truck; we went and had an exclusive interview with the team arranged by the Japanese consulate! Here are some more pics. We'll be publishing their progress as they go across the globe.

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

More

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

and more

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

pouring the oil and our sticker, of course!

[jones]

Very cool. Any idea on how long that thing takes to process the veggie oil until it's fuel-ready?

[Travis351]

Awesome Project! I just re-started my subscription. A dream come true. Where do they keep their gear?

[e9999]

man, that's a lot of junk in the back...


(mmm.... the oil out of that jug you're pouring, looks a lil' too clean to be recycled...? )

[Trunk Monkey]

Originally Posted by e9999

(mmm.... the oil out of that jug you're pouring, looks a lil' too clean to be recycled...? )

Probably been filtered by one of the widgets on the other side.

[CruisinGA]

Seems like running WVO straight makes a little more sense...

Cool, nonetheless.

[macneill]

That's very cool.

Thanks!

[Tapage]

Damn ! how that gonna smell inside .. ?

Nice nice .. autosuficient Cruiser .. as long as you found veggie oil .. ( aka from Mc Donalds .. that are in the hole world .. so you are done )

[biolyle]

2 days...

[taccruiser97]

Does it have lockers?

[blotto66]

Originally Posted by taccruiser97

Does it have lockers?

Nope.

I dont imagine it sees to many trails it would need a locker for though.

[gbcruiser]

I posted about these guys as well:
4WD Traveller.com -- 4x4 Travel, Adventure, News, and Reviews: Toyota Landcruiser Biodiesel Adventure

My wife is Japanese, and we might be translating their site into English for them as well.

In 3 years Japanese engineers will have that waste oil refiner down to the size of a spare tire, and it will probably mount on top of the fuel tank (and eventually be incorporated into it).

Cool stuff. Hopefully ethanol zealots in the US will see the light...

[jonah tapert]

man thats cool.

[jones]

Originally Posted by gbcruiser

Cool stuff. Hopefully ethanol zealots in the US will see the light...

Enlighten us... please...

[NMuzj100]

Very cool set up.

What is the total worldwide production of vegetable oil ? My guess is not much.

Biodiesel is a much better option than Ethanol. I ran Bio 50 in my diesel Suburban with no ill effects.

"the US produces approximately 11 billion liters of Waste vegetable oil a year"

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

I had a sweet interview with the team, with Satori translating. Some really interesting stuff, let me tell ya...like on who can fix that truck if it should break down!

Dave

[MidTex]

Ethanol is a product of the good old boy network, specifically lobbyist for the farming industry talked D.C. into it to drive up the price of corn.

[ginericLC]

Yes, the price of grains is going through the roof due to the ethanol deal. Our reserves are being depleted. Farmers are going to love it. Really the government shouldn't be in farming at all.

Biodiesel is different. I'm very interested in it. In Montana there was a display way back in 96 where they were growing a weed that occured naturally in Montana and they were squeezing the oil out of it to run diesel trucks. However, it is impossible for everyone to run biodiesel.

[jones]

As usual, a bunch of simple explanations and conspiracy theories to a complex subject. Please, somebody provide something with substance as to why biodiesel is 'the answer' vs ethanol. Then we can have a real discussion. I'd really like to hear something intelligent.
Usually the argument is about biofuels vs other alternative fuels, not ethanol vs biodiesel. If you think about it for just a sec, it shouldn't be too hard to figure why that it is.

[Travis351]

Personally, I would prefer a cruiser that ran on waste veggie oil, since restaurant owners down here would pay me to use it up. It would be great if people could use what is most abundant where they live. Kind of like what genericLC was getting at. If everyone used biodiesel, we have to eat even more fried foods to keep up with the demand. Then we would learn what obesity really is.

The only problem I see with diversity in fuel is what happens when we travel outside our region? None of these "alternative fuels" are the answer, just baby steps in the right direction.

[MidTex]

I will take the easy way out and not offer an answer b/c I don't know what the ultimate answer will be. I just think ethanol isn't the answer now. We would be better off running 100% petro.

[jones]

Now I think the discussion is in a better direction. I don't necessarily agree with you guys. But at least we do agree on something... that is that neither biodiesel or ethanol are the ultimate answer. But I do believe they are worth exploring. Most people don't take many things into account regarding ethanol. Such as..
a) How much more efficient the process is now than just a few years ago thanks to money being pumped into R&D.
b) How much R&D (and success) is going into cellulosic ethanol. If successful, this will totally transform the ethanol landscape. The US ethanol industry itself is putting a lot of money into weaning itself off of corn.... which is contradictory to many of the conspiracies out there.
c) Most (if not all the 'studies') do not take into acount the coproducts that are produced along with Ethanol. Nothing is wasted, leftover solids are fed to livestock.

Again, don't take this as me championing ethanol. I would just like that people be a little better informed. I just started this because I really wanted to hear from gbcruiser what "light" us American ethanol zealots (as opposed to any Canadian, Brazilian, Indian, Chinese or Colombian ethanol zealots) might see when "Japanese Engineers" develop a biodesiel refining unit the size of a spare tire in 3 years.
In other words, biodiesel is the be all to end all, and ethanol is evil. There's way too much overlap between these two products to not make that kind of implication ridiculous. If, instead, he said that hydrogen fuel cells is the answer and biofuels are counterproductive... then, whether I agree or not, there is at least a case to be made there. I just wanted see how he would back up his assertions in that odd posting.

[offroadkid]

Okay, now we're way off topic, but since I have some info, I need to share!

In my December '07 issue of "Biodiesel Magazine", there is an article about two scientists from Glycos Biotechnologies who are working on making ethanol with glycerin, which is the bi-product of biodiesel!

It says this may become fruition even before cellulose technology!

Here's the article- Biodiesel Magazine

BTW.. we run B99.9 (B100) in our 1995 E300.

[offroadkid]

And... in Nevada, there is a company, "Infinifuel" that is going to make biodiesel from algae. This biggest problems biodiesel producers run into with trying to use algae ponds is that they cool off at night. Fortunately for Infinifuel, they have geothermal, so the ponds are always the right temp!

Oil from algae | Nevada Appeal | Serving Carson City, Nevada

[jones]

Cool stuff offroadkid. I've also heard of a few investigative projects regarding algae to ethanol. Would be pretty cool to turn that backyard pond scum into fuel!