IAT has worked toward creating an environmentally friendly vehicle and sought ways to lessen detrimental effects to the environment.  The BUV Reuses the Back-End of Salvage Pick-Up Trucks.  Recycling is good, but reuse is better!  Reusing materials is a more efficient way to use natural resources than recycling, because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it is used again.

Benefits of Reusing Materials:

• Saves Natural Resources - Waste is not just created when consumers throw items away.  Throughout the life cycle of a product—from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use—waste is generated.  Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically.
• Reduces Time - Since fewer materials are sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities, the amount of time before the material or part can be used again is significantly reduced.  The parts do not need to be broken down or reprocessed, but rather are treated to last longer and then are often used for their original purpose.
• Reduces Energy - Recycling materials consists of melting down parts and extracting the materials that can be reused.  This takes up energy and often materials are lost or degraded in the process. The energy that is used in re-use is significantly less than with recycling.
• Reduces Costs - Preventing waste can mean economic savings for communities, businesses, schools, and individual consumers.  Information from www.epa.gov

BUV Environmental Comparison:	Pick-up Truck	China Rural Vehicle	BUV
MPG (miles per gallon)	Approx. 25 mpg	Approx. 40 mpg	Approx. 50 mpg
Energy Consumed (in production, relative)	100	30	3
Pollution Generated (during production, relative)	100	65	4
Avg. Transport Distance to African point of sale (energy)	3000 miles	6000 miles	100 miles
Payload (lbs) per horsepower	10 lbs	130 lbs	120 lbs
Vehicle weight / lb of payload	3.0	1.0	1.0
Biodiesel Ready	No (generally)	Yes	Yes

Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel to petroleum diesel, and is produced from natural, renewable, agricultural resources such as soybeans or recycled cooking oil.  Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Biodiesel vs. Petroleum Diesel:

• Biodiesel is better for the environment, because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions.  It is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar.
• Biodiesel has a less harmful impact on human health than petroleum diesel through the reduction of acid rain, smog, and various diseases such as cancer and asthma.
• Biodiesel has a positive energy balance! For every unit of energy needed to produce a gallon of biodiesel, 3.24 units of energy are gained.  This is the highest energy balance of any fuel. Information from www.biodiesel.org

BUV Biodiesel Facts:

• The biodiesel engine in the BUV uses less fuel than the gas engine.
• The BUV uses approximately ¼ of the fuel of a pick-up in off-road conditions.
• The biodiesel BUV gets over 50 mpg (the gas engine gets 30+ mpg)
• The advantage for these developing countries and could lead to the creation of more jobs ground pressure of a BUV is less than HALF of a standard pick-up truck.
• The BUV is friendly to both the right and left side drive.

Will Biodiesel Work in Africa?

Yes! Biodiesel is especially effective in African countries because of their access to jatropha oil.  The jatropha plant yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as the soybean plant, and yields more than ten times that of corn.  Since jatropha oil is easily accessible, the use of biodiesel is a great economic.

- Information from www.wikepedia.com