Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
CNN has the scoop. There’s a cool video to go with it that gives a shout-out to Blue Ridge Bio Fuels and follows the “grease car” driver around town:
Asheville, NORTH CAROLINA (CNN) — Greg Melville’s neighbors in Vermont looked at him like he was crazy 2 ½ years ago when he drove what he refers to as his “vegetable vehicle.” It’s a car that runs on vegetable oil instead of gasoline.
Greg Melville converted a 1985 diesel station wagon to run on vegetable oil when his family needed another car.
Back then, gasoline cost about $2.20 per gallon. Now that the cost of gas is nearly twice that amount, many Americans are starting to think converting to a vehicle that runs on vegetable oil, isn’t such a bad idea.
Melville, who now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, says the decision convert a 1985 diesel station wagon to run on vegetable oil, came about when his wife was in medical school and the couple needed a second vehicle.
“We did some research and found out that the old Mercedes engines were very easy to convert, just because they are practically indestructible,” Melville explains.
After he found a good deal online, the couple purchased the car and found a conversion kit from a company in Massachusetts called Grease Car. The Melvilles then took the car and kit to an expert installer in their area and in no time, they were driving around — with free fuel.
The kit and installation cost about $1,000 each and Melville says it took about 1 ½ years to recoup that cost.
“We’re kinda’ playing with house money because we’re driving on free gas and it’s paid for itself many times over,” he says.
Melville, who is a writer, has driven gas-free vehicle more than 60,000 miles, including two cross-country trips he’s written about in an upcoming book.
