Joe
Jobe is CEO of the National
Biodiesel Board On behalf of the biodiesel industry—and myself—I want to say thanks to Chrysler for offering the Affiliate Rewards program to members of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). I took advantage of this program to purchase my first brand new vehicle ever.
My personal family fleet was previously made up of four diesel vehicles, all running successfully on B20, with a combined age of more than 50 years and 700,000 miles. My pride and joy had always been my 1999 Ford F350 Lariat crew cab with the 7.3-liter Powerstroke engine. However, based on the excellent relationship the NBB has with Chrysler, the level of support and leadership that Chrysler has shown for biodiesel and the offer of the Affiliate Rewards program to NBB members, I decided it was time for me to demonstrate some leadership in my personal choices and make the switch.
I sold the Ford and bought the 2007 Dodge Ram Mega Cab. It, of course, has the new 6.7-liter straight-six diesel with new emission control technology. My family is thrilled with this new vehicle, and I have to say that it is quite an extraordinary machine—powerful, quiet, comfortable and cool.
Chrysler began offering an Affiliate Rewards discount to NBB members last month, with a special emphasis on the company’s diesel passenger vehicles—the Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV.
This is not the first time Chrysler and NBB have partnered on initiatives to promote the use of diesel and biodiesel as alternatives to gasoline. One of our most important projects is promoting adoption of a new national fuel specification for B20, a fuel composed of 80 percent conventional diesel and 20 percent biodiesel. A standard is anticipated in the next several months.
A B20 blended specification will enable us to support the use of B20 in all diesel vehicles—from passenger cars to the largest city buses and semi-tractor-trailers—further encouraging use of this clean, renewable, American-made fuel, which will reduce our dependence on petroleum and support America’s farm economy.
Chrysler is already promoting use of biodiesel by delivering each new Ram and Grand Cherokee diesel to customers running on of B5 (5 percent biodiesel fuel). In addition, Chrysler has approved use of B20 by its fleet customers who follow specifications for fuel quality. Among other benefits, use of B20 significantly reduces petroleum use over the lifetime of a vehicle such as the Dodge Ram diesel.
As the first biodiesel industry participant to benefit from the Affiliate Rewards program, I can now speak with authority on its merits. The process worked very well, and I am eager to tout the program and Chrysler’s leadership in diesel technology and renewable energy. And I look forward to continued collaboration with Chrysler in promoting the use of clean, renewable, American-made biodiesel.
