- Volkswagen "Bio-Bug" Beetle runs on methane gas generated during the sewage-treatment process.
- GENeco, a U.K. sustainable-energy company, said it plans to convert its fleet of vehicles if the Bio-Bug trial is successful.
- Bio-Bug's performance is not affected by the alt-fuel. Top speed remains 114 mph.
BRISTOL, England — It's been called the "Dung Beetle" and the "U.K.'s first poo-powered VW Beetle." British wags are also praising the alt-fuel vehicle for its ability to run "on your personal emissions." The VW Bio-Bug prototype runs on methane gas generated during the sewage-treatment process and is the latest vehicle to grab headlines in the race to find an innovative way of powering vehicles.
The Bio-Bug, which is being touted as a viable alternative to electric vehicles, is the work of a team of British engineers. GENeco, a U.K. sustainable-energy company owned by Wessex Water, said it plans to convert its fleet of vehicles if the Bio-Bug trial is successful.
"Waste flushed down the toilets of just 70 homes in Bristol is enough to power the Bio-Bug for a year, based on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles," said a statement on the Wessex Water Web site.
Such an approach to ending dependence on foreign oil is not exactly new. In Sweden, it is estimated that more than 11,500 vehicles already run on biomethane produced from sewage plants. However, previous attempts to run a vehicle on biogas or methane gas took a toll on performance, experts say.
But the Bio-Bug's performance is not affected by the alt-fuel. Its creators say the methane gas powers their 2.0-liter VW Beetle convertible to 114 mph.
"The choice of car was inspired by students who took part in a workshop," said Mohammed Saddiq, a spokesman for GENeco in a statement. "They thought it would be appropriate that the poo-powered car should be the classic VW Beetle Bug because bugs naturally break down waste at sewage works to start the treatment process, which goes on to produce the energy."
Surprisingly, those near the vehicle on its first public run said they noticed no unusual smell.
Inside Line says: Even before the advent of the Bio-Bug, the original Beetle often was the butt of jokes. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
k55 says:
10:43 AM, 08/14/2010
Awww you canf fool me ..........this article is full of sh1t.
.........but I suppose they felt it was their doody to write it.
tdiluv says:
06:46 AM, 08/10/2010
Let's face it we are dedicated to oil ! Alternatives are in the crapper ! Even our goverment is full of gas on this subject !! Even the former President BUSH said "We are addicted to oil" and you know what a dumb "_ _ _ _" he is !!
jmsims1981 says:
12:44 PM, 08/08/2010
"Now again VW is showing its innovation in dealing with a problem while American auto manufactures are still building their large and inefficient vehicles and trucks and hopefully they will all out of business and they are just a bunch of dysfunctional whiners and complainers of lower intelligence and intellect a bunch of real dummies with an IQ in the negative numbers where a retarted single cell Amoba is smarter."
Harsh, but I believe they are finally seeing the light.
I believe that this should be immediatly put into leagal effect everywhere - mandatory.
angry_mushroom says:
10:26 PM, 08/07/2010
Ah, man. These jokes are as crappy as the car.
supra4 says:
08:46 PM, 08/07/2010
g33t33b33:
I agree with your nervousness about being rear ended in Italy with those tanks. Methane has to be compressed to something like 5,000 psi to be viable. That is pretty high compared with propane which liquifies at 250 psi. Going to need a Kevlar fuel cell to make it safe.
subeman says:
08:01 PM, 08/07/2010
I have a 400lb buddy who could make this car go for hundreds of miles in just one sitting.
g33t33b33 says:
07:18 PM, 08/07/2010
They've been doing it in Italy and elsewhere in Europe for years. When I was stationed there, I owned a SEAT Toledo (basically a rebadged VW Jetta GLI) with a retrofitted "metano" system. For nine euros, I could fill the tank with enough fuel to last a few days. Once that ran out(~300kms), I could flip a switch and go back to running gasoline. It did knock like crazy at lower rpms, but while running on methane, there was little performance difference. It wasn't human waste but agricultural. Usually, you could find a filling station near a farm. Yes, my homies did bust my balls, suggesting I make a special pair of pants and eat lots of Taco Bell if money got tight. The tanks themselves filled the entire trunk. Picture three acetylene tanks stacked in a pyramid and you'll have a good idea of the scale. This is all well and good until you consider Italian driving style. Agressive ain't even the word - they don't tailgate, they swap paint. It's a bit nerve-racking to have pressurized methane tanks in close proximity with Giuseppe on your tail.
Anyway, I hope this type of thing catches on in the US. If it were legal and there were a fuel infrastructure, I would have imported the SEAT in a second. There's an unlimited fuel supply, there's NO SMELL from exhaust, and no significant performance loss. I guess range is an issue since the gas isn't very dense and so you can't hold much in a reasonable size tank. The problem is probably the stigma of running your car on poop.
herrstreet says:
05:21 PM, 08/07/2010
Dung Beetle?
boba421 says:
09:37 AM, 08/07/2010
Now again VW is showing its innovation in dealing with a problem while American auto manufactures are still building their large and inefficient vehicles and trucks and hopefully they will all out of business and they are just a bunch of dysfunctional whiners and complainers of lower intelligence and intellect a bunch of real dummies with an IQ in the negative numbers where a retarted single cell Amoba is smarter.
tdiluv says:
05:22 AM, 08/07/2010
Will it run on beans, you know, the musical fruit !!