With all of the eco friendly terms being thrown around in the vehicle industry, you may be wondering what “EcoDiesel” actually means. Spoiler: It’s NOT the same as biodiesel! Both are related to better fuel efficiency though, and obviously also related to diesel type of fuel. We all know fuel efficiency is very important in transportation, logistics and supply chain vehicles, there’s no question about that. With recent higher fuel prices, even some consumer drivers are considering diesel as an option. Recently there is a fancy term being thrown around called “ecodiesel” that is catching attention, but what is ecodiesel anyway? Let’s look at some of the background of the efforts in the industry first.
The petroleum industry has been increasingly using renewable sources such as used cooking oil to create a variety of fuels and chemicals. When you see “renewable diesel” offered at a truck stop or fueling station it may refer to a variety of biodiesel (NOT ecodiesel!) including some blends with petroleum diesel instead of 100 percent bio. Keep in mind that in order for biodiesel or any other alternative fuel to be viable in today’s market, it generally must be priced competitively with conventional fuels. The basic idea behind this fuel is that it falls under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) renewable diesel category, but EPA regulations don’t require the renewable materials to be technically derived from plant sources.
Let’s not get off track however because this article is about ecodiesel not biodiesel. Though at a glance they may seem similar, they are not the same. Let’s look at what the makers of it say – according to ramtruck.com, ecodiesel is a unique system available in some of their diesel vehicles, and to make it simple for you, it basically gives your full size pickup the fuel economy of an average commuter sedan. Yep. Ram claims their ecodiesel engine can provide 22 MPG city and 33 MPG highway! Our writer can attest to the accuracy of this in their 2022 Laramie model. It’s an incredible thing to use your truck to get better fuel efficiency than the family SUV, and definitely makes ecodiesel a spec to add to your wish list for your next diesel vehicle.
RAM EcoDiesel ENGINE DETAILS
“The innovative available 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine began with a block of compacted graphite iron and aluminum twin-cam heads. Then we added B20 biodiesel capability and Active Air® Grille Shutters. The result is a remarkably quiet, incredibly capable and efficient workhorse.”
Please don’t mistake ecodiesel for biodiesel. To help you remember, think of it in the most basic terms: ecodiesel is an engine type and biodiesel is a fuel type. While both are eco-friendly and efficient additions to the industry, they are clearly very different! For more info on biodiesel, check out our post here for everything you need to know about biodiesel.
