Biodiesel powers Santa Barbara automobiles

In Santa Barbara, soybean-powered vehicles will soon be hitting the streets.

Beginning July 1, all city-owned vehicles with diesel engines will run on biodiesel, a blend of diesel fuel and soybean oil.

The next time Santa Barbara firefighters fill up their trucks, they will be using biodiesel. The city's entire fleet of 150 diesel cars, vans, trucks and tractors will run on the environmentally-friendly fuel.

"We have been selling biodiesel for several years, and not too many know about it yet," said Ken Olsen, McCormix Corporation.

Olsen has been selling the product at his McCormix gas station for years, and although his customers are loyal, they are few.

One of the reasons is that the soybean fuel blend can be up to a dollar more a gallon than regular diesel. But that is changing, now that the cost of oil is rising, now biodiesel is actually more cost-effective. It is only about 10 cents more, and a whole lot cleaner for cars.

"Hopefully with more demand, there will be more demand and consequently a lower price," said Olsen.

The decision to run its entire fleet on biodiesel makes Santa Barbara the first city in the county, and one of just a handful in the state, to exclusively use the environmentally-friendly fuel.