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Old 12-03-2008, 06:19 PM   #22 (permalink)
bennelson
EV test pilot
 
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Posts: 4,435

Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
90 day: 334.6 mpg (US)

S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
90 day: 129.81 mpg (US)

The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
90 day: 78.16 mpg (US)
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Discouraged by cold!

I don't know about you, but here, its cold and snowing!

I hadn't thought about it before, but the main thing that may stop me from going fossil-fuel-free may be the winter weather.

Electric cars already have relatively short range, and the cold only shortens that.

Diesel vehicles can sometimes have problems starting in cold weather, but with Bio-Diesel, the problem is even worse.

Some bio-diesels can turn into a gel at 40 degrees F. That's pretty much October through May by me.

Although bio-diesel sounds like a great way to go, not being able to use it (or at least having to blend it with mostly petro-diesel) in the winter kinda defeats the point.

Perhaps what's really needed here is some Eco-Tinkering. It's not that you CAN'T use bio-diesel in the winter, it the temperatures that are the problem.

So, perhaps B100 could be used year-round IF the vehicle was modified with a block heater, insulated fuel tank, extra powerful battery, etc.?

Anyone here have winter bio-diesel experience?

I did find some good tips at Biodiesel in winter: Journey to Forever

It looks like a vehicle would need to be heavily modified to run year-round on biodiesel, but when HAVEN'T I been modifying my vehicles any ways!
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