"You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions, and that's how we're going to protect the Earth."
Julia Butterfly Hill
PlantDrive.com
PlantDrive was started as an outgrowth of the
M.Sc. thesis work of Edward Beggs in 1999. The thesis, "Renewable Oil Fuels and Diesel Engines as Components of
Sustainable System Design."
The research question was: "Are renewable oils, as fuels in
unmodified compression ignition (diesel) engines, a technically and
economically feasible component of sustainable system design, in
both developing and developed countries?". Note that "unmodified"
referred to the engine itself, not the necessary modifications to
the fuel system, as is done in an SVO conversion.
The company was established to research and develop "SVO" kits and
related components and equipment. We are known for innovative,
practical solutions, realistic assessments, advice, product
quality, competitive pricing, and service.
PlantDrive™ provides high quality kits and
components for the conversion of diesel engines to use 100%
vegetable oil as fuel without chemical processing or addition of
harmful chemicals. We all know that climate change is one
of the most pressing issues of our age. Al Gore's film "An
Inconvenient Truth" has brought this reality to the attention of
millions. It is now widely accepted that the carbon dioxide
released from our cars and trucks is one of the main contributors
to climate change. Renewable vegetable oil, used as fuel in an
efficient diesel engine, is the most affordable and technically
feasible carbon- neutral fuel available today!
The products we sell are also purchased to make the use of
biodiesel possible in cold weather, and to allow use of lower-cost
biodiesel with high solidification points. (e.g. biodiesel made
from certain oils and animal fats, trap grease, etc.)
You will find everything you need here for conversion, as well as
to efficiently collect, transfer and prefilter used vegetable oil.
The use of 100% vegetable oil as fuel is often called
"SVO". This stands for "Straight Vegetable Oil" (another
common term is PlantDrive vegetable oil fuel system, convert
diesel, gas alternativePure Plant Oil, "PPO" and “WVO”
Waste Vegetable Oil). These all mean the same thing - enabling the
use of captured solar energy in liquid form (plant oils) in the
simplest, most economical, and most efficient way, without using
fossil fuels, chemicals, or solvents. If you are new to this,
please read our "Learn More" Section, it contains our FAQ as well
as much more information that will assist you in understanding more
about diesels and SVO use as fuel.
We offer several complete conversion kits: two
general-purpose kits that will work with most diesel engines and
several specialized kits - for the VW Tdi, the 1999-2003 Ford
Powerstroke 7.3 and the 2003 and later Ford Powerstroke 6.0, and
our Mercedes SingleTank kit.
Our generic TwoTank kits can be used to convert pre-Powerstoke Ford
6.9 and 7.3, the '94-97 7.3 Powerstroke, the 6.2 and 6.5 Chevy/GM,
the Chevy/GM Duramax, every year Dodge Cummins, and just about
every diesel vehicle sold.
Some vehicles will require additional components that we offer: the
Duramax and the 24V Dodge Cummins, for example. Please email us for
details about these vehicles.
We also offer components for collecting and filtering waste
vegetable oil, preheating the vegetable oil in your tank,
preheating your engine, keeping the vegetable oil in your fuel
filter from gelling overnight, two controllers for automating
switchover from diesel to waste vegetable oil, and aluminum fuel
tanks, in several sizes as well as custom tank fabrication. Many of
our components can be used for cold- weather biodiesel use.
"The PlantDrive™ Advantages"
- Best filters in the industry - The new VegMax, 15 including shipping, top-loading, coolant on the bottom for effective heating, compact. And the Vormax™ - coolant heat, prefilter, largest, higher quality final filter, long filter life!
- Safest in-tank heater - Hotfox™ - stainless steel, coolant operated, heated fuel pickup.
- Quickest switchover time - 12Volt electric inline SVO heater - Vegtherm™ (combined with coolant/SVO heat exchanger(s), provides faster switchover, higher average SVO temperatures more consistently than coolant-only systems)
- Fast purge times (on 2-tank systems - note that we also offer our Single Tank system for Mercedes engines through 1999, for moderate climates only).
- Hottest oil at startup (via the optional OverNighter™.)
- Modular/expandable - not one size fits all - various options added to basic kits by application.
- Fast ship times. Usually 1-2 weeks from time of order, max. 3 weeks.
- Guaranteed products - All products are guaranteed for minimum one year. Many of our main components have a 5 year warranty!
- Wide range of vehicles and engines successfully converted.
- Authorized, experienced dealer/installers
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