Shouldn't there be a green rating for biodiesel cars?

Question

on the green car list, diesel cars get bad grades, but if drivers are using biodiesel, where would that rank against hybrids?

Answer 1

they should rank good because hybirds still burn gasoline and biodiesel is much safer and we eat most of what it is made of

Answer 2

Emissions.  Biodiesel can burn pretty dirty if you're not careful. Diesel does get better mileage then gas, so you should burn less of it, but there is some evidence that using bio diesel may be less efficient.  From a carbon standpoint, it is carbon neutral since the carbon was contained in plants, which gets released and re-absorbed anyway instead of being pumped from underground and released through burning.  Newer forms of diesel fuel burn more cleanly due to lower sulfur content.  Overall, hybrids are probably more environmentally friendly then diesel.

Answer 3

There is a green rating for biodiesel cars like the Volkswagen GLI on Yahoo autos.

Answer 4

ethanol is just as bad for the environment as gasoline.  And, biodiesel isn't an overall practical idea for cars and trucks because it creates a horrible competition between food and energy.  This would drive up food costs all over the world.  

Hybrids using gasoline are still better.  But getting a car that runs entirely on batteries is even better.  They are making them more efficient (250 miles per charge) and some only take 10 minutes to charge.  And, they don't take much electricity to charge either.