What is the conservation-conscious Texas Republican supposed to do when looking for transportation? On the one hand, he'd like to have something economical and ecologically responsible. On the other hand he's in Texas and has to do a lot of driving and needs a big, comfortable vehicle that can seat the whole family. And, of course, it helps a lot if it's a pickup truck in order to fit in with the neighbors. The answer? Why a BigAss EcoTruck, of course.
After much research I determined that the best solution for the BigAss EcoTruck was a Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel pickup with a four-door Crew Cab. Other options presented themselves but didn't hold up. The best was the Dodge Contractor's Special, which is basically the same truck but with a hybrid diesel engine.
The clueless marketers at Daimler-Chrysler haven't realized how marketable a hybrid pickup would be in Texas, so they're only available for fleet purchase in California, which means you have to buy 30 or more and transport them to Texas yourself, and I didn't feel like opening my own car dealership just to buy one truck. The only other hybrid pickups are from General Motors, who prove with every stupid decision why they deserve to go out of business. In the case of their hybrid pickups, their idiocy is displayed by having used the hybrid features of the engine to improve towing capacity rather than gas mileage, totally defeating the purpose of hybridization.
Ford has a nice hybrid engine suitable for a pickup, but it's only going to be available in SUVs for at least another year. Another option might have been a truck which would run on E85 Ethanol fuel, and they do exist, but no one in the state of Texas currently sells E85, though that's bound to change since about half the gas-powered vehicles on the market can actually use it. Still not an immediate solution.
Since hybrids weren't a realistic option, the best way to go was with an alternative fuel vehicle, and the Dodge Ram 2500 qualifies on all counts. It's a serious truck with a three-quarter ton carrying capacity, plus it has the most comfortable backseat for the kids of any of the extended cabs I've looked at. It has a gigantic 5.9L Cummins Diesel engine, and while most of us are familiar with stinky commercial trucks running on PetroDiesel, the fact is that Diesel engines are able to run clean-burning BioDiesel with no modifications.
Rudolph Diesel invented his engine back in 1892 to run on biofuel. His first working model displayed at the 1898 exposition in Paris ran on pure peanut oil. The Diesel engine, by its very nature, is designed to run on low-volatility, high-viscosity fuel. It works by heating the relatively stable fuel to a more combustible temperature where it burns much more efficiently than fuels like gasoline.
Modern Diesel engines, as developed by Clessie Cummins, are modified to use fuel injection to work with lighter weight fuels like PetroDiesel (still much more viscous than gasoline), but they can still run on biofuels which have either been processed to be lighter weight or are actively heated in the engine to reduce viscosity. Diesel engines also have a great deal of tolerance for variations in the fuel, so under the right conditions you can run on a variety of different fuel mixes from straight vegetable oil to small amounts of BioDiesel used as an additive to improve the performance of standard PetroDiesel.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mark Saleski
either an old mercedes or maybe volkswagon running biodiesel is my next move.
by hey, don't dump on my cooper, man. chicks dig it!
2 - Dave Nalle
Chicks dig your Cooper because only chicks can FIT in the damned thing. Drive an EcoTruck like a man, dammit!
Dave
3 - J Baustian
I had not heard of the Dodge "Contractor's Special" diesel hybrid truck before -- sounds interesting, and probably the wave of the future for pickups of all sizes.
I read yesterday that 38% of all VW Jettas sold in April were the turbo direct-injection diesels (TDI), and over 40% of the VW New Beetles. The author referred to a Volvo diesel -- AFAIK there haven't been any Volvo diesel cars sold in the US in more than 20 years. Maybe he was thinking of Mercedes-Benz?
The author says B20 can increase fuel mileage by 15%, compared to regular #2 diesel. I believe this is incorrect -- biodiesel burns clean but has slightly less energy (BTU's) per gallon, so gets slightly worse fuel mileage than regular diesel. (E85 ethanol gets much worse fuel mileage than regular gasoline.)
4 - Dave Nalle
I had not heard of the Dodge "Contractor's Special" diesel hybrid truck before -- sounds interesting, and probably the wave of the future for pickups of all sizes.
If they could get off their butts and start manufacturing and selling it to a more general market, I agree.
AFAIK there haven't been any Volvo diesel cars sold in the US in more than 20 years. Maybe he was thinking of Mercedes-Benz?
We do have an international audience here at BC, but I ought to have also mentiond Mercedes.
The author says B20 can increase fuel mileage by 15%, compared to regular #2 diesel. I believe this is incorrect -- biodiesel burns clean but has slightly less energy (BTU's) per gallon, so gets slightly worse fuel mileage than regular diesel. (E85 ethanol gets much worse fuel mileage than regular gasoline.)
I was just reporting my personal observations comparing burning 20 gallons of PetroDiesel and 20 gallons of B20. But It's born out by others who have done similar tests and come up with similar results. Apparently the falloff in mileage comes with higher mixes of BioDiesel.
Dave
5 - Mark Saleski
well, my last vehicle was a full size 4wd chevy k1500. fun to drive (in a different sort of way) but i never missed it after take the big "step down".
6 - Dave Nalle
Going from that to a Cooper is quite a change.
I test drove the Chevy equivalent of my new truck including the hybrid version, and it wasn't even close to comparable as far as the quality of design and engineering. The interior is particularly unappealing, just about as bad as the horrible Ford F150.
Dave
7 - Mark Saleski
i really loved the chevy. we still have it, but use it for stuff like trips to the lumber yard.
8 - Lono
Dave Nalle - this will be the first time we have agreed on anything. That was a great piece. I too have a diesel (Ford F-250 Powerstroke Superduty). I very much want to run Bio-diesel but there is none in South metro Denver. Denver is getting closer to making biodiesel a real alternative, as the mayor ordered all Denver school buses to switch over to Biodiesel.
I hope to be switched over full time to biodiesel sometime in the next year or so. It has all the advantages:
it is cheaper
it is cleaner
you are giving money to farmers instead of terrorists!
As soon as I can get my hands on it in South Metro Denver I will drop a line here.
9 - Lono
Oh, another thing. Biodiesel doesn't run well in the Winter... but neither does Diesel. Diesel solidifies around the zero mark. Something for folks to be very aware of in colder climates. That is why diesels have plugs coming out of the grill.
10 - Dave Nalle
That winter business may be why it hasn't taken off yet in Denver. Not so much of an issue here in Austin. But mine does have the plug for plugging the warmer into the garage outlet.
I do have some good news for you on that front, Lono. One of the companies which I contacted for some info on the production end is in the Denver area. They're a large scale manufacturer and wholesaler, but can retail outlets be far behind?
Dave
11 - Bliffle
Sounds like a nice truck. But does it have wing windows? My 32 year old truck does. Nothing beats blasting down the highway with the wing window reversed open, providing Gods Own Airconditioning, left fist wrapped around the wing window pillar. Especially nice if you have a guffers knob on the (non-power) steering wheel. In The Old Days I used to have a Lucky Strike hanging from the corner of my mouth and the pack rolled up in the sleeve of my T-shirt.
Now that's a Real Truck! Sometimes I let young Framer Dave drive it out of the driveway so he can back his uninteresting behemoth in. Makes me feel good to see the Kid get a big thrill.
12 - JR
Dave Nalle: Chicks dig your Cooper because only chicks can FIT in the damned thing. Drive an EcoTruck like a man, dammit!
Why would a man want to drive anyone but chicks around in his car?
13 - Dave Nalle
JR, if that's 'chicks' plural then where can you put the man in the Cooper? And if the man is any larger than a chick himself, where's he going to go in that tiny thing even when there aren't chicks in it?
Dave
14 - Mark Saleski
dave, the perfect cd for this article.
15 - Dave Nalle
I love the band name, but having sampled a few tracks on iTunes I have to say the music doesn't live up to the name, though it is truly irritating.
Dave
16 - Maurice
Interesting read. How large is your gas.. er I mean BioDiesel tank? Have you looked into getting a larger tank - either replacing the original or getting the dreaded in-bed-refill-tank?
17 - Dave Nalle
The truck already comes with a 34 gallon tank, which is about all you'd want. I've already seen people who've done analysis of the significant difference in gas mileage based on driving with an empty tank and a full tank because 34 gallons of fuel is heavy enough to actually alter GVW enough to impact gas mileage.
Dave
18 - Maurice
I looked into it because I have a '99 Dodge 2500 with the V10. When I have the slide in camper on it and then hook up the trailer I am down to 6.7 mpg with only a 30 gallon tank.
Maybe it is time for me to upgrade to the eco groovy BioDiesel.....
19 - Dave Nalle
The V10 is inherently way less gas efficient than the V6 diesel, and ironically it's also less powerful. Diesel burns at a 75% higher rate of efficiency than gas, so it really kicks some butt as far as power goes.
That camper likely costs you as well. I saw someone with the same truck today who had replaced the back gate with an aerodynamic after-market version which lets wind pass through. I'm curious how much that helps with the mileage.
Dave
20 - Lono
We must Must end this myth here and now. Removing your tailgate or leaving it down does NOT give you better mileage. It actually hurts mileage by creating drag. The car guy's tested this (they are MIT grads) and it was also tested and demonstrated on Mythbusters.
Sorry, this is unrelated to the thread but I had to drop that off. I am definately hoping to see retail outlets with Biodiesel. I know you can brew it at home, but that is too much trouble and my wife would shoot me.
Another thing for you diesel folks, there is a most excellent site called Diesel stop (www.dieselstop.com) that has a great forum questions where you can get answers to everything.
21 - Dave Nalle
Lono, some easy research brought me to the same conclusion about the tailgate. Apparently the whole bed is in the shadow of the cab, so the point is moot.
Where do you live? Biodiesel is popping up everywhere.
Dave
22 - Lono
Parker, Colorado... which is basically south Metro Denver.
23 - Michael J. West
Big Ass Truck is a good band name, but in this case, Dave, I would recommend "Jesus Chrysler Supercar."
24 - Dave Nalle
I'm not sure that Jesus Chrysler Supercar would be appropriate given my general relationship with the 'son of man' and his minions.
And Lono, Colorado is going to be a BioDiesel paradise before you know it.
Here's a list of biodiesel retailers in Colorado. There are 4 or so in the Denver area, including one selling B100.
Dave
25 - Jet in Columbus
My compliments Dave. I have absolutely no hope of every owning one, but your article held my interest all the way through! (If only to see if you were going to give up and buy one of Willie Nelson's old tour busses out of frustration)
Nice writing
Jet