“The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become in the course of time as important as petroleum and coal tar products of the present time.”
–Rudolf Diesel, 1912

This is the quotation that Eric Glose keeps at his desk as an inspiration when working on his car. It’s a thought that would influence the car he bought, the home he chose, and the restaurant he frequents. This year, Glose converted a Volkswagen Jetta 2000 to run on used vegetable oil that would otherwise be wasted. By the mere flick of a switch, his car will convert from running on diesel fuel to running on vegetable oil. Glose says, “The process is to heat the oil enough to reduce its viscosity to the point where it will run through the engine.” He maintains a separate tank in the car that stores the vegetable oil as well as a series of heat exchangers that warm the oil sufficiently enough to run the car. A lot of work on the car was necessary, but very little processing of the oil is needed to use it. Where does he get all the oil from? He won’t say definitively—only that it comes from a local Asian restaurant. The source of the used vegetable oil is an important point as well. Glose compares his converted car engine to the human heart—vegetable oil that has few impurities will not clog up the engine, just as it will not clog up your arteries.

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