- What
is Biodiesel?
- Why
Biodiesel?
- Who
is Bio-beetle?
- Where
are you located?
- Where
do I fuel up?
- What
happens if the rental car
has mechanical problems while I am
renting?
- Is
Biodiesel approved for use?
- What
are the benefits?
- Can
I use Biodiesel in a vehicle
myself?
- Is
the use of Biodiesel
covered
under engine warranties?
- How
much does Biodiesel cost?
- Is
Biodiesel cost effective?
- Who
is using Biodiesel?
- Who
else can benefit from Biodiesel?
- Can
Biodiesel help mitigate global warming?
- Where
can I get even more
information
on Biodiesel fuel?
What is Biodiesel? 
Biodiesel
is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel, made from 100%
natural, 100% renewable vegetable sources. Here
are just a few of the vegetable oils that can be
used to make biodiesel - mustard, rapeseed (aka canola),
palm, olive, peanut, soy bean, safflower,
sunflower, castor, etc. On Maui, all biodiesel
is made from used cooking oil.
(Some places label blends of biodiesel and
petroleum diesel as "biodiesel", whereas we use
only 100% (B-100) biodiesel.)
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Why Biodiesel?
Fossil fuel
is the primary cause of pollution in the world.
Biodiesel offers those who want a clean
environment the option to make a significant
beneficial impact by using a renewable fuel.
Sustainability? Or business (pollution) as
usual? Biodiesel dramatically reduces
particulate matter emissions and other federally
targeted emissions while helping to stabilize
greenhouse gases. Biodiesel is also non-toxic,
biodegradable and free of sulfur.
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Who
is Bio-beetle?
The idea for a
biodiesel rental car has been a long-time dream of Shaun
Stenshol, owner of Maui Recycling. He and fellow working partners, Pamela
Miedtke-Wolf, and Bob and
Camille Armantrout, are
constantly looking for ways to make Maui self
sustaining, and their lives as close to zero
waste as possible. Maui Recycling Service, plus,
Shaun, Pam, Bob and Camille currently use Bio
diesel in all their vehicles. This joint effort,
to make Bio-Beetle a reality, was just another
way to show what we can do, right now, to help
protect the planet.
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Where
are you located?
Maui
Recycling Service has contracted Maui Car
Rentals to manage the rental. Renters can
arrange to be picked up curbside at the Maui
Kahului airport. MCR is located at 181 Dairy Rd.
Kahului, Maui Hawaii 96732. Phone, toll free US
& Canada 1-800-567-4659 or 1-808-877-3300.
Hours of operation 9:00 am to 5:30 p.m. Monday -
Friday. 9:00 am to 3:00 p.m. Saturday. Please
address reservations through Maui Car Rentals.
All other inquiries should go through
info@bio-beetle.com, or Maui Recycling Service
Box 1267 Wailuku Hawaii 96793. (808) 244-0443
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Where
do I fuel up?
The
Bio-beetle can easily get 550 miles per tank of
biodiesel so refueling should not be an issue
for most rentals on Maui. Although, if need be,
Pacific biodiesel is located at 285 Hukilike
Street, Suite B-106, Kahului. There will be a map to
Pacific Biodiesel
in the glove compartment.
The Pacific Biodiesel
phone # is 877-3144. Pacific Biodiesel hours of
operation are 8 am - 5 pm Monday thru Friday, so
make sure you have enough fuel by Friday to get
you thru the weekend.
EMERGENCIES only call 808-283-6878. You will be
charged for emergency
deliveries.
(Some locals
and businesses, that use biodiesel, keep a
supply at their location and have it delivered
periodically.)
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What
happens if the rental car
has mechanical problems while I am
renting?
By renting
the Bio-Beetle, you accept the fact that this
rental car is unique.
We do our best to make sure there won't be
problems, but if there are, we will help you
find another vehicle, but it will NOT be
biodiesel only.
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Is Biodiesel approved for use?
Biodiesel
is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with
the Environmental Protection Agency and meets
clean diesel standards established by the
California Air Resources Board.
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What are the benefits?
While its
emissions are radically lower, biodiesel
functions in the engine the same as petroleum
diesel. Biodiesel can be substituted for diesel
with essentially no engine modifications, and
maintains the payload capacity and range of
diesel. On Maui all biodiesel is made from used
cooking oil collected from restaurants, making
it a 100% recycled fuel, and keeping it out of
the landfill.
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Can
I use biodiesel in a vehicle
myself?
Yes! Any
diesel vehicle or engine can run on biodiesel.
Older vehicles may need minor modifications with
fuel lines or other rubber fuel components. New
diesels should have no problems (e.g. Maui
Recycling Service powers a 2001 Ford F-450 with
10,000 miles, a 2000 VW Golf with 40,000 miles,
and a 2001 VW Beetle with 25,000 miles).
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Is the use of Biodiesel covered under engine
warranties?
Manufacturer
warranties cover defects in material and
workmanship, and those warranties extend to
engines burning Biodiesel. These warranties do
not cover engine problems related to fuel of any
kind. Tests and demonstrations, however, have
shown that biodiesel is no different from
petroleum diesel in terms of engine performance
and wear.
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How much does Biodiesel cost?
As of
January 24, 2003, on Maui it costs $1.95 for
off-road uses and $2.33 (road tax included) for
your road vehicle, this is one of the lowest
prices for biodiesel in the world. On Mainland
USA biodiesel costs between $2.45 and $18 per
gallon (before road tax - road tax varies state
to state).
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Is Biodiesel cost effective?
YES! A gas
car that gets 25 miles per gallon (above the
average for a typical gas car) costs 8 cents per
mile to drive at $1.99/gallon fuel cost (current
cost of regular unleaded gasoline on Maui -
January 2003). A diesel car that gets 40 miles
per gallon (typical for a diesel, my 2000 VW
Golf gets 42) costs 5.8 cents per mile to drive,
at $2.33/gallon (cost of biodiesel at Pacific
Biodiesel, road tax included). Diesel engines
are more efficient than gas motors, so you will
almost certainly save money on transportation if
you switch from a gas vehicle to a biodiesel
vehicle . The only way you will spend more money
on fuel is if you already have a diesel vehicle
and decide to switch from petrol diesel to
biodiesel.
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Who is using Biodiesel?
Biodiesel
can be used in any diesel engine. Here are some
Maui Biodiesel pioneers:
- Pacific Biodiesel - 6
trucks
- Shaun Stenshol - 2000 Volkswagen Golf
TDI (over 40,000 miles)
- Maui Recycling Service - three
recycling trucks (combined, over 70,000 miles)
- Paul Brandt - 1981 Volkswagen
truck (over 30,000 miles)
- Woody Harrelson - 2000 Volkswagen Beetle
TDI
- Bob &
Camille Armantrout - 2001 Beetle (over 25,000 miles)
- Maui County - sludge
trucks
- Maui EKO - tractors
- Pacific Whale Foundation
- 2 tour boats
- Pukalani golf course - well
pump
- Maui Community College -
generator
- Ruben Ortiz - 1987 Ford
- several condominiums use
biodiesel in generators. On Kauai - Na Pali
Adventures uses biodiesel in their tour boat.
Biodiesel is also extensively used in Europe,
especially Germany and France.
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Who else can benefit from Biodiesel?
Biodiesel
strengthens Maui’s and the nation’s
energy security while generating new industry
and high-quality jobs. The United States spends
about $60 billion each year to import nearly 50
percent of its oil. Imported oil is expected to
grow to 70 percent very soon. Biodiesel also has
a positive energy balance, generating three or
more units of energy for every unit required to
make it. And because it is biodegradable and
nontoxic, biodiesel poses little to no
environmental threat while in transit.
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Can Biodiesel help mitigate global warming?
Yes! A 1998
biodiesel lifecycle study, jointly sponsored by
the US Department of Energy and the US
Department of Agriculture, concluded biodiesel
reduces net CO2 emission by 78 percent compared
to petroleum diesel. This is due to
biodiesel’s closed carbon cycle. The CO2
released into the atmosphere when biodiesel is
burned is recycled by growing plants, which are
later processed into fuel.
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Where can I get even more information on
Biodiesel fuel?
http://www.biodiesel.org/
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