Cedar Rapids switches to biodiesel

Five Seasons Transportation & Parking in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is fueling its fleet of 60 city buses with biodiesel. The move was made to help clean up the exhaust of buses while contributing to the local farm community. The buses are using a mixture of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. The company used biodiesel from 1993 to 1996 in a soy diesel test project. The cost of soy diesel rose from $2.75 per gallon to $4.50 per gallon during the test period. Buses performed well during the test, but the cost was prohibitive. The production of soy diesel has increased, making it a cost-competitive fuel. “We used biodiesel for 3 million miles and never had a single problem, so we didn’t hesitate to begin using it again,” said Director Bill Hoekstra. “It’s another example of value-added agriculture.”