Photo: Ford
Vehicles on the road remain one of the top threats to air quality. Until widespread electrification brings a noticeable change to this fact, there are other ways through which impact on the environment can be lessened.
Ford is suggesting one for its Transit vans: Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, aka renewable diesel made from cooking oil collected from restaurants, caterers, schools and even homes. The future may be electric, but it could just as well be (at least partly) grease-based.
Last week, the automaker announced that its 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine underwent testing to see whether modifications would be necessary in order to run on HVO, and none were needed. All of Ford’s latest Transit vans can use HVO, either as-is or mixed with conventional diesel in those cases when HVO is not available at the gas station.
Throughout the EU, HVO is available only at select locations, and oftentimes in limited quantities, Ford says. There are some initiatives that aim to boost the process of collecting used cooking oil for this particular use, such as RecOil, but visible results are pending.
For the time being, though, Ford ensures that HVO can be safely used in Transit vans even when mixed with conventional diesel. No issues will arise from mixing the two in the tank.
The benefits of using HVO are aplenty, including a 90 percent decrease in greenhouse gases and reduced NOx emissions, because this type of fuel doesn’t contain sulfur or oxygen. Moreover, HOV helps engines start more easily in lower temperatures because it contains fish oil and waste animal fats. If improving air quality is not enough to sell drivers on, the fact that it also has a longer shelf life might help.
“Enabling our vans to run on fuel made from waste, including used cooking oil, may sound far-fetched but using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is, in fact, a very real way in which Transit drivers and fleet operators will soon be able to help everybody enjoy improved air quality,” Hans Schep, general manager, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe, says in the statement.
Last week, the automaker announced that its 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine underwent testing to see whether modifications would be necessary in order to run on HVO, and none were needed. All of Ford’s latest Transit vans can use HVO, either as-is or mixed with conventional diesel in those cases when HVO is not available at the gas station.
Throughout the EU, HVO is available only at select locations, and oftentimes in limited quantities, Ford says. There are some initiatives that aim to boost the process of collecting used cooking oil for this particular use, such as RecOil, but visible results are pending.
For the time being, though, Ford ensures that HVO can be safely used in Transit vans even when mixed with conventional diesel. No issues will arise from mixing the two in the tank.
The benefits of using HVO are aplenty, including a 90 percent decrease in greenhouse gases and reduced NOx emissions, because this type of fuel doesn’t contain sulfur or oxygen. Moreover, HOV helps engines start more easily in lower temperatures because it contains fish oil and waste animal fats. If improving air quality is not enough to sell drivers on, the fact that it also has a longer shelf life might help.
“Enabling our vans to run on fuel made from waste, including used cooking oil, may sound far-fetched but using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is, in fact, a very real way in which Transit drivers and fleet operators will soon be able to help everybody enjoy improved air quality,” Hans Schep, general manager, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe, says in the statement.
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