The Costs Of Running A Car On Biodiesel

Vehicle ownership costs are not effected by changing from conventional to low % biodiesel blends because no engine modifications are necessary. There are extra costs though which can be incurred if pure biodiesel or high % blends are used. These include the cost of the replacement of rubber engine parts. Another factor to consider is that car warranties may become invalid if you use a biodiesel blend of higher than 5%. If you were unlucky this may result in large repair fees that would previously have been covered under warranty.

As long as low percentage blends are used, car depreciation and insurance costs should stay the same. Road tax would also be unaffected as a car running on standard diesel fuel produces a similar level of CO2.

As it is a relatively young industry, commercially produced biodiesel generally has high costs of production. This can be offset by tax benefits depending on your geographical location and the regional tax laws. Even with tax benefits, biodiesel is slightly more expensive than standard diesel. This is partly because a larger volume of biodiesel is required to perform the same journey when compared to mineral diesel.

If you use low percentage blends or high quality pure biodiesel so that a cars warranty remains valid, other running costs such as servicing, maintenance and repair should stay around the same level as for a normal car using mineral diesel. You should replace the fuel filter shortly after making the switch to biofuel though.

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