Weird Science

Crowell and Graeve aren't the first to see America in a grease-fueled VW. Justin Craven made a cross-country trip in 2000 in a converted diesel and now sells conversion kits for around $800.

Grease is the Word
When tooling around Duluth, Minnesota, Crowell and Graeve pull up to "grease only" vats in the back of restaurants to refuel their Rabbit. Restaurant owners have to pay to have the waste removed, so they're more than happy to ladle it over to the grads.


Grease generates the same horsepower as diesel and promises a longer engine life. The only downside is the need to change grease filters regularly to keep errant fries or food tidbits out of the engine, along with storage issues such as congealed grease caused by cold temperatures. While the MPA buses smell like French fries, the Crisco Kid emits the odor of whatever foodstuffs its fuel source was initially used to cook (Chinese reportedly has the best aroma and performance).


On a much larger scale, ConAgra and Changing World Technologies teamed up to convert turkey waste from Butterball turkey processing into crude oil. The plant in Carthage, Missouri is designed to handle 200 tons of inedible turkey bits a day. The thermal conversion process simulates the natural, eons-long geothermal activity that produces petroleum, but cuts the time down to a matter of minutes.


Basically, the organic waste is mixed with water, placed under pressure and heated, and then rapidly cooled to separate the desired products. The only waste in the process is the water, which is recycled. CWT equates the cost of production to that of a small exploration and production company's finding costs. The bio-derived oil can be refined in existing facilities, so the infrastructure, which is a problem with other alternative fuels, is already in place.