News : New Biodiesel Mixture: Fuel of the Future?

NBC25NEWS- A new kind of gasoline went on sale on Tuesday in the Eastern Panhandle. It's a biodiesel mixture and to make it you need soybeans.

“The farmer will harvest his soy beans and the byproduct from that is what they actually produce to feed, which is the by-product of oil. They then take that oil and make bio-diesel,” said Darren Swartz, Wholesale Holtzman Oil Corp.

“It acts as a detergent. It keeps the fuel system clean, so even though we still change the fuel filters at a regular interval we're not seeing as much dirt in them. It helps the farm economy because you're using their soy bean product,” said Lyle Tabb, a family farmer.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture said this new alternative to fuel does more than just save diesel drivers money, it's also better for the environment.

“There’s less emission from the engine because of the detergent qualities which cause the engine to burn cleaner and run cleaner, thereby meaning less emissions,” said Steve Miller, WV Department of Agriculture.

One jug can cost $3.89, which officials said is a better investment for the future.

“This means if you have a 20 gallon tank you can put four gallons of bio-diesel in and you're getting the detergent qualities of the fuel as well as helping us become less dependent on foreign oil,” said Miller.

Agriculture officials also want to warn you about making your own version of this biodiesel mixture. They said it could be very dangerous, since it's not certified by officials.