Sep 8 2008
Propel, a leading retailer of low-carbon renewable fuels and Seattle-based The Essential Baking Company, announce the results of a joint study on the impact of replacing petroleum fuel with biodiesel in the company’s delivery fleet. The results of the 13-week test show that vehicles fueling with B99 biodiesel had no mechanical issues, ran more smoothly and significantly reduced CO2 emissions and other air toxins compared to petroleum diesel.
“This study reflects what many in the industry have known for years -- biodiesel performs as well as, if not better than regular petroleum oil,” says Rob Elam, founder of Propel. “As more and more fleet owners look for ways to reduce their emissions, they can feel confident that our biodiesel is a quality fuel.”
During the 13-week trial, six Essential Baking vehicles fueled with strictly B99 blend biodiesel from Propel’s Clean Fuel Points, travelling approximately 37,000 miles on 2,500 gallons of B99, with one vehicle logging over 14,000 miles. Vehicles selected varied in model, types of routes, and mileage driven. No vehicle failures and no operational issues were experienced. Cold weather proved not to be a problem for the vehicles, even with 32 days when the daily low temperature was below 35 degrees Fahrenheit. The majority of drivers reported that the vehicles ran more smoothly and more quietly on B99 than on petro-diesel.
Propel’s innovative CleanDrive service, an integrated carbon emission reduction tracking platform, automatically tracked gallons used and calculated the fleet’s reduction of CO2 and other pollutants. The results indicated that the delivery vehicles:
- reduced their output of CO2 by more than 43,000 pounds,
- displaced 1,553 gallons of petroleum oil,
- reduced harmful particulate matter (PM) produced by 78 percent,
- reduced air toxins by 60 to 90 percent,
- eliminated 100 percent of sulfur compounds from vehicle exhaust.
“After seeing the results of the test, we’re more certain than ever that using biodiesel is the right choice,” said Anna Li, Director of Sales & Marketing of The Essential Baking Company. “Now, we know that our fleets are minimizing their impact on the environment without sacrificing performance or maintenance.”