Diesel fuel are not strictly speaking an alternative fuel.  However, in North America diesel (or compression ignition) engines are very uncommon in powering passenger vehicles.  This is probably due to the poorly-built engines that North American automobile manufacturers introduced during the fuel crisis of the 1970's.  Those engines were spark ignition (SI) engines converted to compression ignition (CI) rather than purpose-built compression ignition engines.  The motoring public experienced failure-prone low performance engines and have stayed away ever since.  Even the European manufacturers did not make a smooth running at that time.  With North American consumers used to smooth running powerful gasoline engines, the smoke and diesel clatter did not help to convince these consumers to give these engines a chance.

Times have changed.  With the new millennium, automobile manufacturers (especially the Europeans) have been refining the compression ignition engine.  There are not very many diesel-powered passenger cars available in North America.  Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are two manufacturers that come to mind.  For light trucks, most manufacturers offer a diesel option.

Biodiesel

For those people having diesel-powered vehicles, a new renewal fuel source is emerging.  Biodiesel is made primarily either from animal or vegetable oils.  In Canada, biodiesel is being made from soybean oil, canola oil, and mustard oil as those crops are produced in great abundance in its prairie provinces.  Biodiesel is also made from animal fats and recycled cooking oil. Biodiesel can be used by itself (B100) but is more commonly blended 20% (B20) with petroleum-based oil.  A great deal of research is going into the development of fuel from mustard oils in particular.  A side benefit of this crop is that the mustard pulp can then be used as a natural pesticide. 

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Last modified: October 07, 2004