With gas prices booming, one local company has a question for people to consider.

Did you know that certain kinds of automobiles can run off of vegetable oil?

It’s true.

When the first diesel engine was designed in 1893 by Rudolf Diesel, it was designed to use peanut oil. However, because of economic reasons it was quickly changed to run off what is today known as diesel fuel.

With the change, the idea of using vegetable oil in an engine faded out in America.

Now, however, more than 100 years later, a company called American Oil has drawn upon diesel engine roots and is attempting to make a switch back to vegetable oil, all out of a desire to save money on fuel.

American Oil started in Lakeville but has spread to include cities in northern, central and southern Minnesota — including Albert Lea — and even some cities in northern Iowa.

American Oil pays businesses to dispose of their waste oil, filters it and then sells the vehicle-friendly parts of it for people to use in converted diesel engines.

In Albert Lea, the business collects waste vegetable oil from businesses such as Cargill, the Wok-N-Roll and Hy-Vee, to name a few. Around the state, some notable places it collects oil from are the Mall of America, Old Dutch and Timberlodge.

Locally, Dweezle Bordeaux with American Oil estimated that the company picks up an average of 1,200 gallons of waste oil from Cargill in one run. And in a busy month, Cargill could produce as much as 6,000 gallons.

Businesses used to have to pay to get rid of their oil because it was considered waste, but now American Oil actually pays the companies to take their oil from them.

After American Oil employees collect the waste oil, it is taken to the business’s headquarters in Lakeville and is filtered down. A large part of the filtered vegetable oil can go into converted diesel engines, while other parts of it go to biodiesel and animal feed.

The company sells the vegetable oil at half the diesel gasoline price.

After a vehicle is converted, it runs off of a certain amount of diesel gas with a certain amount of vegetable oil.

Bordeaux said once he converted his vehicle, “It paid for itself within the first six months.”

“It’s run better off the oil than it has on gas,” he said.

Though the company knows this may not be America’s answer to the gas crisis, they do hope it can help reduce the country’s oil dependency one engine at a time, Bordeaux said.

It is also their goal to be able to supply those people in the area who have the same interest.

To further develop the business, American Oil is hoping to get the attention of state leaders like Gov. Tim Pawlenty in thinking outside the box on a more green approach to gasoline.

Roger Taylor, who started the business, said during the last three months he e-mailed Pawlenty several times but was always told that Pawlenty was too busy during the legislative session. If the governor were to back something like what American Oil is trying to do, it would help immensely, he said.

“We’re taking 100-year-old technology and plugging it into today’s society and trying to get people to take a serious look at it,” Taylor said. “I would love to have the state approach me and say, ‘I think you’ve got something here. What can we do to get our vehicles on this?’”

Taylor said he’s also tried talking with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to see what help they might be able to offer.

And though using the vegetable oil would save on costs of fuel, there are a few drawbacks, Taylor said.

More maintenance is involved, as the vehicle’s filter has to be changed every 3,000 miles, he said.

However, using vegetable oil does create a longer engine life. And it is a nonflammable fuel — which would also be safer.

If people are interested in converting their diesel engines so that they can run off of both diesel and vegetable oil, they can contact Troy Waldemar at Action Auto Waldemar has said he would be available anytime to convert a diesel engine into a vegetable oil-friendly engine, Bordeaux said. Waldemar estimated the conversion would cost $1,000 plus parts.

American Oil can be reached by phone at (612) 325-9775 in Lakeville or 507-383-7083 locally or by e-mail at zutals@msn.com.