We could have diesels that are 80% cleaner, have double the horsepower, and increase in mileage of 50% or better. Right now, with off the shelf parts. Already being done right here in the US.
Biofuel-Powered by Design
By Lindsey Irwin/staff writer/Article: July 2007 Issue of Bioiesel Magazine
Biodiesel is moving into the world of posh consumer sport utility vehicles thanks to diesel engine conversion specialist Johnathan Goodwin. His fuel economy- and horsepower-enhanced vehicles have been featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, sold on eBay and have now caught the attention of some high-profile figures, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He’s the one they call when all the others say, “It can’t be done.” His peers refer to him as the "foremost authority on Duramax diesel conversions of all vehicles." His work is in such high demand that he could sell one converted diesel engine Hummer an hour, if he wanted. Although he has a right to brag about his innovations, Jonathan Goodwin’s quiet, reserved nature communicates his preference for a low profile. That’s not quite possible, however, as the Wichita, Kan., native’s talent keeps him in the spotlight. In fact, his upcoming conversions are going to be taped for a television series that is set to air on the Discovery Channel, and one of his diesel conversions involves California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal vehicle. Goodwin’s projects are cutting edge, but he insists that he’s simply a hard-worker and a determined problem solver, doing what he loves. "I’m not a chemist, I’m not a scientist or an electrical engineer," Goodwin says. "I’m just one of those people that will take something that I’m interested in and I can’t leave it alone, and I will push it to the highest edge."
Now the head of two of his own companies, Jonathan Goodwin H-Line Conversions, a Hummer conversion business in Wichita, Kan., and SAE Energy, a technology development entity, he got his start working on motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle engines when he was 15 years old. In 1998, Goodwin converted his first Hummer, an H1, to a Duramax diesel engine after a few roadside repairs, running it at high speeds through a pond, pushing all the vehicle’s limits and bending all the rods in the motor. He decided to drop in the new engine to modify a few complications and gain more horsepower and has been refining issues associated with the Hummer line ever since.
Goodwin began to hone in on the environmental and fuel-efficiency aspects of his conversions at the request of a client and since then his business opportunities have snowballed. In 2006, Goodwin partnered with a group called the EcoTrek Foundation to convert the perceived worst gas-guzzler of all sport utility vehicles (SUVs)—the Hummer H2—to run on biodiesel rather than conventional gasoline. Goodwin and environmentalist and auto enthusiast Tom Holm, founder of EcoTrek and the host of Outdoor Life Network’s “Adventure Highway” television series, aligned with General Motors Corp. (GM) to customize the vehicle with a Duramax LBZ engine, an Allison M1000 transmission, sustainable soy-foam seats and nonpetroleum-based tires, along with several other upgraded features. Needless to say, the EcoTrek H2 Hummer was a hit at the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, the premier automotive specialty performance products trade show that attracts more than 100,000 industry professionals each year. “We’ve gotten a lot of interest with mass transportation and some fleets of 800 are just waiting for us to come out and offer this to them,” Goodwin says. “We’re getting close to wanting to do that, but we’ve just been having so much fun refining the technology. It’s been incredible.”
Hot Commodity
Almost immediately following the SEMA Show, Goodwin received a call from Martin Tobias, the CEO of Imperium Renewables, with an out-of-the-ordinary pitch. He wanted to convert a beat-up classic American muscle car to run on biodiesel for a special Earth Day episode of MTV Network’s “Pimp My Ride” (PMR) television show. Goodwin agreed and flew out to Galpin Auto Sports’ garage in Southern California to begin work earlier this year. After 500 hours of taping and build time, the outcome was the ideal “green machine”—an 800 horsepower biodiesel-powered 1965 Chevrolet Impala that gets 25 miles per gallon (mpg). Not only did Goodwin convert the engine despite skepticism from producers of the show, but the car also demonstrated the sheer performance that can be achieved using the renewable fuel. The upgraded Impala raced a Lamborghini at the Pomona Raceway and left it in the dust. “I’m glad that I was able to show them that this diesel engine running on canola oil can pretty much yield all the power that you want,” Goodwin says.
Biofuel-Powered by Design
By Lindsey Irwin/staff writer/Article: July 2007 Issue of Bioiesel Magazine
Biodiesel is moving into the world of posh consumer sport utility vehicles thanks to diesel engine conversion specialist Johnathan Goodwin. His fuel economy- and horsepower-enhanced vehicles have been featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, sold on eBay and have now caught the attention of some high-profile figures, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He’s the one they call when all the others say, “It can’t be done.” His peers refer to him as the "foremost authority on Duramax diesel conversions of all vehicles." His work is in such high demand that he could sell one converted diesel engine Hummer an hour, if he wanted. Although he has a right to brag about his innovations, Jonathan Goodwin’s quiet, reserved nature communicates his preference for a low profile. That’s not quite possible, however, as the Wichita, Kan., native’s talent keeps him in the spotlight. In fact, his upcoming conversions are going to be taped for a television series that is set to air on the Discovery Channel, and one of his diesel conversions involves California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal vehicle. Goodwin’s projects are cutting edge, but he insists that he’s simply a hard-worker and a determined problem solver, doing what he loves. "I’m not a chemist, I’m not a scientist or an electrical engineer," Goodwin says. "I’m just one of those people that will take something that I’m interested in and I can’t leave it alone, and I will push it to the highest edge."
Now the head of two of his own companies, Jonathan Goodwin H-Line Conversions, a Hummer conversion business in Wichita, Kan., and SAE Energy, a technology development entity, he got his start working on motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle engines when he was 15 years old. In 1998, Goodwin converted his first Hummer, an H1, to a Duramax diesel engine after a few roadside repairs, running it at high speeds through a pond, pushing all the vehicle’s limits and bending all the rods in the motor. He decided to drop in the new engine to modify a few complications and gain more horsepower and has been refining issues associated with the Hummer line ever since.
Goodwin began to hone in on the environmental and fuel-efficiency aspects of his conversions at the request of a client and since then his business opportunities have snowballed. In 2006, Goodwin partnered with a group called the EcoTrek Foundation to convert the perceived worst gas-guzzler of all sport utility vehicles (SUVs)—the Hummer H2—to run on biodiesel rather than conventional gasoline. Goodwin and environmentalist and auto enthusiast Tom Holm, founder of EcoTrek and the host of Outdoor Life Network’s “Adventure Highway” television series, aligned with General Motors Corp. (GM) to customize the vehicle with a Duramax LBZ engine, an Allison M1000 transmission, sustainable soy-foam seats and nonpetroleum-based tires, along with several other upgraded features. Needless to say, the EcoTrek H2 Hummer was a hit at the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, the premier automotive specialty performance products trade show that attracts more than 100,000 industry professionals each year. “We’ve gotten a lot of interest with mass transportation and some fleets of 800 are just waiting for us to come out and offer this to them,” Goodwin says. “We’re getting close to wanting to do that, but we’ve just been having so much fun refining the technology. It’s been incredible.”
Hot Commodity
Almost immediately following the SEMA Show, Goodwin received a call from Martin Tobias, the CEO of Imperium Renewables, with an out-of-the-ordinary pitch. He wanted to convert a beat-up classic American muscle car to run on biodiesel for a special Earth Day episode of MTV Network’s “Pimp My Ride” (PMR) television show. Goodwin agreed and flew out to Galpin Auto Sports’ garage in Southern California to begin work earlier this year. After 500 hours of taping and build time, the outcome was the ideal “green machine”—an 800 horsepower biodiesel-powered 1965 Chevrolet Impala that gets 25 miles per gallon (mpg). Not only did Goodwin convert the engine despite skepticism from producers of the show, but the car also demonstrated the sheer performance that can be achieved using the renewable fuel. The upgraded Impala raced a Lamborghini at the Pomona Raceway and left it in the dust. “I’m glad that I was able to show them that this diesel engine running on canola oil can pretty much yield all the power that you want,” Goodwin says.
H-Line Conversions - Hummer H1 & H2 Diesel and Green Fuel Conversions - Wichita, Kansas
Once again, the problem has been lack of leadership among those being paid millions of dollars a year to lead.
