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Volkswagen Creates Sewage-Powered Beetle

Posted by samzenpus on from the 35-miles-per-burrito dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "The Telegraph reports that Volkswagen is giving new meaning to the term 'Dung Beetle' with a prototype able to cover 10,000 miles annually on the waste from 70 households. The Bio-Bug was launched by Wessex Water, which is generating methane from human waste at a sewage treatment works near Bristol. 'Our site has been producing biogas for many years, which we use to generate electricity to power the site and export to the National Grid,' says one company official. 'We decided to power a vehicle on the gas, offering a sustainable alternative to using fossil fuels which we so heavily rely on in the UK.' The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association says the launch of the Bio-Bug proves that biomethane from sewage sludge can be used as fuel. 'This is a very exciting and forward-thinking project demonstrating the myriad benefits of anaerobic digestion (releasing energy from waste). Biomethane cars could be just as important as electric cars.'"

83 comments

  1. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's a Dung Beetle?

    1. Re:So... by dsavi · · Score: 2, Funny

      What a load of crap.

    2. Re:So... by charon69 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Marketing will call it the "Volkswagen Scarab", and all will be right with the world.

    3. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So quoting the exact same term from TFS now gets a +5 Funny???? Wow, laziness gets you far when everyone else is just as lazy...

    4. Re:So... by JayJay.br · · Score: 1

      No, it's just another crapware.

    5. Re:So... by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      It runs like shit, though.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    6. Re:So... by ekgringo · · Score: 1

      Who reads TFS? Everything I would need to make the "Dung Beetle" joke is included in the title.

  2. Introducing the Volkswagen Dung Beetle! by robot256 · · Score: 1, Redundant

    'nuff said.

    1. Re:Introducing the Volkswagen Dung Beetle! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The measuring unit, is kind of strange, are those american households, chinese, ethiopian or what?

  3. LOL by Spazntwich · · Score: 3, Funny

    Runs on the runs.

    1. Re:LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who.... run barter town?

    2. Re:LOL by Nick+Number · · Score: 1

      Fahrvergnügen run Bartertown.

      --
      Promote proofreading. Don't mod up sloppy posts.
    3. Re:LOL by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Wow, your car is a shitbox."

      "Yes, yes it is"

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    4. Re:LOL by CrashandDie · · Score: 1

      Can I be the first one to scream:

      1.21 GIGAWATTS

  4. Queue the jokes by Loconut1389 · · Score: 1

    I hear they get shitty gas mileage...
    I hear crashing those is a really shitty experience...

    1. Re:Queue the jokes by jrmcferren · · Score: 1

      I get forty rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it!

      --
      sudo mod me up
    2. Re:Queue the jokes by Yewbert · · Score: 1

      I heard Toyota and Chevrolet had partnered on an attempt to achieve this same design. They were gonna call it the Toyolet.

      To improve mileage, all you needed to do was put a brick in the tank.

      The first prototypes were kinda cheap, though - the seats had two positions: up and down.

    3. Re:Queue the jokes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, that's some piss-poor mileage, really :p

    4. Re:Queue the jokes by jrmcferren · · Score: 1

      I know how shitty the mileage is in fact, I would have to have a 600 gallon gas tank to get me to the gas station (with a safety margin of course) to fill the thing up.

      --
      sudo mod me up
  5. Well by NetNed · · Score: 1

    That is some powerful shit!

    1. Re:Well by Kepesk · · Score: 1

      Hey, I just had a thought... could this technology be used somehow in the space program?

      --
      Help me fix my brother's injured butt!
    2. Re:Well by Flea+of+Pain · · Score: 1

      Probably not, you need a large amount of waste to be decomposing before you start getting a useful amount of methane gas.

      --
      Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
    3. Re:Well by justanothersysadmin · · Score: 1

      Isn't the American space program already shitty enough?

  6. I don't beleive it. by AnonymousClown · · Score: 1

    I think they're full of shit.

    --
    RIP America

    July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001

  7. No... by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 1

    I don't want to play "slug bug" with you anymore.

    --
    "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
  8. If you're stuck behind one in traffic... by ITBurnout · · Score: 1

    ...be sure to turn on your AC's "internal circulation" feature.

    1. Re:If you're stuck behind one in traffic... by natehoy · · Score: 1

      Anonymous Cowards have an "internal circulation" feature?

      1. That explains their shitty posts.
      2. Doesn't that mean that, eventually, drivers of the "Dung Beetle" will run out of fuel, if all the ACs stop pooping?

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
  9. Biogas is nothing new, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    at least not in sweden. I driven a biogascar in sweden since 2008. At least volkswagen, volvo, opel (vauxhall), fiat makes commercial cars that can be bought here in sweden. The biogas that one uses in Stockholm is guaranted to be made from at least 50% of sewage, so I fail to see whats special about this car. Could someone enlight me how its different?

    1. Re:Biogas is nothing new, by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

      Sounds good in theory but if we imagine a future without gasoline or diesel, just 1 methane-powered Beetle per 70 homes isn't very practical.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    2. Re:Biogas is nothing new, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      No, its never going to be _the_ replacement for gasoline or diesel, but as methane is much worse green house gas than carbondioxide. I still think its a good idea to use it as fuel instead of just letting it out into the atmosphere...

    3. Re:Biogas is nothing new, by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Just my thought. This proves nothing _NEW_.

      Good that they use the gas for transportation though. All solid, fluid and gas energy resources should be spent on transportation imho since they is so very convenient there and it requires more energy to convert an electricity source into a chemical energy source for such devices.

      Better save them for transportation and pull electricity from things which are not convenient for transportation, such as solar panels, wind power, water power, nuclear (may be ok for transportation to...), ..

      Creating chemical energy from electricity Creating electricity from chemical energy is stupid.

      All our buses in town, and some vehicles over at Stockholm because we've got more gas than we need, already run on locally produced biogas:
      http://www.swedishbiogas.eu/1/1.0.1.0/62/2/

    4. Re:Biogas is nothing new, by SiaFhir · · Score: 1

      DeLorean did it back in the 80's. The footage is available at the end of the first Back to the Future movie. It flies too. And it travels through time once it reaches 88mph.

    5. Re:Biogas is nothing new, by sumdumass · · Score: 1

      Is methane much worse then Co2? I mean Co2 is a very stable compound and Methane has a lot short life span as it breaks down easier.

      Or are you simply looking at the heat retention factor and ignoring the facts that Co2 remains in the atmosphere 200 times longer then methane?

    6. Re:Biogas is nothing new, by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      CO2 stays in the air longer, but methane contributes to much more greenhouse warming. (200 years is not a correct number - it's highly variable.) Methane tends to break down to CO2 anyway. So the options are either methane for some time, which is a stronger greenhouse gas, then decomposing to CO2, or burn it, and just have the CO2. Pretty much nobody thinks methane is better in the atmosphere because of that reason. The excess CO2 is not good, but it's better than methane over the same time period.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
  10. Do you smell that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That's the smell of clean air. Smells horrible.

  11. The concept stinks by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 2, Funny

    I turn up my nose on it!!!

    1. Re:The concept stinks by Eclipse-now · · Score: 1

      Away with you, or I shall taunt you a second time you silly English Ken-nigg-it!

  12. Oh crap! Running out of gas...... by nebenfun · · Score: 1

    better hit Taco Bell.

  13. Biomethane vs. Natural Gas by oldhack · · Score: 1

    Any chemist in the house? What's the difference?

    --
    Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
    1. Re:Biomethane vs. Natural Gas by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 3, Informative

      If filtered properly, none. Methane is methane.

      But the two are likely to have impurities, and differ in terms of impurities present.

      And as some other commenter said - 70 households of waste to power one car isn't too effective, unless they can improve the ratio sometime down the line.

      It does lead to interesting thoughts - The sewage systems in developed countries are likely not nearly optimal for biogas generation, compared to the digesters that seem to be rapidly increasing in popularity in developing countries. I think the waste disposal systems that lead to optimal biogas generation are too "outhouse-ish" for most people in developed countries, but are a major leap forward in places like India where many places utterly lack any sort of sewage system whatsoever.

      --
      retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
    2. Re:Biomethane vs. Natural Gas by sumdumass · · Score: 1

      It's probably more economical to install a power generation plant at a sewage treatment facility instead of doing this. and to that point, It's probably even more economical to use something like an Activated Carbon Facilitated Oxidation reactor to power a low temp steam turbine generator.

    3. Re:Biomethane vs. Natural Gas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It does lead to interesting thoughts - The sewage systems in developed countries are likely not nearly optimal for biogas generation

      I'm no expoert, but a 'normal' sewer that delivers the waste to some central place where the solids (which are the parts that can be processed to biogas) are separated seems close to optimal for this.

  14. Bad Pun #723 by Adaeniel · · Score: 0

    Sounds like a pretty shitty idea to me!

  15. 70 households to power one volkswagen? by Freddybear · · Score: 0

    Yeah, that's some real practical shit.

  16. I drive... by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 1

    in your general direction!

    --
    "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
  17. Oh boy! by DurendalMac · · Score: 1

    Will the seats all have built-in bedpans? "Oh no kids, almost out of gas! Quick, scarf down this Taco Bus slop!"

  18. in after a million lame dung beetle jokes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    in after a million lame dung beetle jokes

  19. Siphon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Could you imagine siphoning fuel out of one of these? Brutal...

  20. Not unexpected... by i.r.id10t · · Score: 1

    Not unexpected... after all the S. American bugs that were produced up until a few years ago ran great on alcohol based fuels... The flat 4 air cooled engine can be made to run on many things...

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
    1. Re:Not unexpected... by rickb928 · · Score: 1

      This is the 'new' Beetle. There have been 18 different engine choices for the new Beetle so far, and all appear to be liquid-cooled. Some are TDIs. All appear to be inline 4 cylinder engines.

      And like the old flat 4 aircooled, they can run on many different fuels. But there the similarity ends.

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
  21. Smells like ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you know how people burning old fry oil smell like fish or chips while driving down the road? makes me wonder if this smells like shit

  22. Not entirely new, by Antony+T+Curtis · · Score: 1

    What got me interested in methane for vehicle fuel was reading an old reprint where some farmer in England was capturing gas from the waste from his pigs in order to fuel his personal vehicle during WW2.
    It makes sense to recycle every part of our waste instead of extracting more fossil fuels.

    --
    No sig. Move along - nothing to see here.
  23. If you buy this car... by melted · · Score: 1

    If you buy this car, you're full of shit.

  24. Can someone add Mr Fusion tag? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Can someone tag with Mr. Fusion?

  25. This was done 40 years ago in Oregon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ed Emery of Winston, Oregon did this in the 1970s using sheep dung from his organic farm, a re-purposed refrigerator compressor and two 55 gallon drums to process, collect and store the methane into pressure tanks. He had a methane beetle and an old hippie bus.

  26. perfect power source... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For a nation of sausage & kraut eaters!!!

  27. Nice smell! by colonel+landers · · Score: 1

    I knew someone who ran a car on fish & chip fat. It smelled like a fish & chip shop, soooo I'm guessing you won't be impressing any dates with your dung beetle. It should curb your appetite a little though.

  28. Yo quiero? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In other news, mexican restaurant sales are expecting explosive growth in years to come!

  29. and no traffic either by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the gas masked driver and his other dung beetle gangs would rule the highways with the power of smell

  30. Drives so well they made a word for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fartvergnügen

  31. Does raise an interesting question by aarenz · · Score: 1

    Where does all that methane from sewers and waste treatment plants go right now. I heard that methane that occurs naturally generates much of the greenhouse gasses that we have in the atmosphere. Maybe each house should get a small methane collector instead of letting it all go out the vent in the roof! Especially those houses with a septic tank.

  32. Too bad only 1 in 70 households can use one.... by Fallen+Kell · · Score: 1

    Yeah, that will sure be sustainable. At the 1 in 70 households being able to have 1 car like this, I don't see this as an ultimate solution, but it might be a start at least. The bigger problem will need a better solution though, since, at least in the USA, most households have 2-3 cars/vehicles, so at 1 for every 70 households, it will only be about 0.5% of total household vehicles (not to mention corporate fleet vehicles, like commercial trucks, transit, and rentals).

    --
    We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
    1. Re:Too bad only 1 in 70 households can use one.... by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, that will sure be sustainable. At the 1 in 70 households being able to have 1 car like this, I don't see this as an ultimate solution, but it might be a start at least.

      The 70 households is just a typical journalist trick to make it comprehensible for average Joe. Once you start taking into account all the biogas that can be generated from others sorts of waste(livestock, excess farm produce, etc) it starts to add up.

      And no, none of these solutions will solve our energy problems in a single go. But if we keep chopping off 2% here and 5% there, that will get us towards energy independance in the long run.

      --

      People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
  33. Fahrtvergnügen! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Driving enjoyment will now depend on wind direction...

  34. Hrm by eyrieowl · · Score: 1

    I hear cars that run on fryer oil are nice because they always smell like french-fries. This car...maybe not so much.

  35. That's nice but... by Conchobair · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'll be holding out for the Mini Pooper.

  36. Gives new meaning to the phrase... by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    "Shit, we're outta gas!"

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:Gives new meaning to the phrase... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean "Gas, we're out of shit!"

  37. The Shitty Beatles rise again. by BForrester · · Score: 1

    As mentioned on Wayne's World. "Apparently, it's not just a clever name, they really do suck."

    1. Re:The Shitty Beatles rise again. by Universal+Indicator · · Score: 1

      LOL that was the first thing I thought of too :-)

  38. TL;DR by JRHelgeson · · Score: 1

    So they made a Dung Beetle

    --
    Good security is based upon reality and common sense. Common sense is a function of having common knowledge.
  39. new meaning for... by bodland · · Score: 1

    bowel movement.

  40. Pfft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More vaporware...

  41. Or about 143 miles per household. by gestalt_n_pepper · · Score: 1

    Whee. :\

    --
    Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
  42. Impractical? by OSDever · · Score: 1

    I know this is Idle and we're not supposed to be serious, but doesn't this seem mildly impractical? 1 car and 10k miles per 70 households seems a bit much. Imagine the carpools!

    --
    What is the airspeed of a fully laden swallow?
  43. {Insert feces joke here} by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Haha right everyone because poo is funny. Oh man. Whew.

    So what was TFA about now?

  44. The next Big Oil? by Fippy+Darkpaw · · Score: 1

    Who will be the players in "Big Sewage"? Also, Xenu help us if there is a spill...

  45. Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The shit's hit the fan and it's powering my car!

  46. Excellent, but not new by ksandom · · Score: 1

    I'm really happy that people are still doing this. However it's certainly not new. If my sources are correct, the sewage treatment plant in christchurch, new zealand stopped doing this about 10 years ago. I think it was because it wasn't economical, but I'm not entirely sure on that. It may have been longer ago. They were doing it when I was a kid, which seems to be getting longer and longer ago these days...

    Still, with the changes in technology and attitudes to the environment, it's quite possible its viability could be entirely different now.

    --
    Funnyhacks - Wierd, unusual, and fun hacks
  47. How toxic are the fumes? by skotay · · Score: 1

    What I would rather not find out is what the burning of this gas smells like. I've heard of a cooking oil powered van that two guys took on a cross country trip from one side of the US to the other. Stopping and filling up at any fast food restaurant where they asked for used fry oil that was just going to get thrown out. It was said that where ever they drove, it smelled of French Fries. [citation needed]

  48. I want one, where do i buy one? by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    Ok, first i need to buy this car, then I need to eat a lot of mcdonalds crap....then I get to go to work!