Passage 3 The Vege Car
Who hasn’t grumbled every time they pull into a service station? The Macdonald
family of Palmerston North isn’t worried about the price of petrol. When their tank is
empty, they just pour in vegetable oil – the kind that takeaway shops use for frying
their chips. And yes, the Macdonalds can even drive their car on vegetable oil after
it’s been used for cooking – thanks to Dad, James nui Macdonald.
Around three years ago, James nui decided it was time to build a car that didn’t need
petrol. It wasn’t just to save money. James wanted to protest against the war in Iraq,
which he believes is partly about powerful countries like the United States wanting oil
from the Middle East. James nui, who is Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Whātua, also likes the
fact that his car is in keeping with traditional Māori values. These place great
importance on caring for the natural world – and driving a car that doesn’t put
harmful gases into the air is a great start. As James nui says, “Vegetable oil is 100
percent environmentally friendly – and it’s recycled!”
Harmful Gases
Driving a car that runs on petrol puts harmful gases into the air. These include carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrocarbons. Why are
they harmful? Because they cause health problems, such as asthma and cancer, and
they are responsible for climate change. In New Zealand, about 40 percent of our
carbon dioxide emissions comes from vehicles, mostly people’s cars.
For now, James nui is keeping the details of his work a secret, although the idea of
running a vehicle on cooking oil isn’t new. In 1893, a man named Rudolf Diesel
designed an engine that could run on vegetable oil – peanut oil, to be exact. Diesel
engines are still around, but most now run on crude oil … the stuff that James nui
wants to avoid.
After many hours of work, James’s persistence paid off, and his family was able to
drive about in what they call the “vege car”. The Macdonalds were hugely impressed
KAEL 211 Mahidol University Kanchanaburi Campus
5
with their environmentally friendly vehicle; other people weren’t so sure. “It’s great –
but is it reliable?” they all wanted to know.
To prove that their vege car was as good as any other car, James had an idea. Why not
drive from one end of the country to the other? That way, he could show off his car
and teach people about cleaner, cheaper fuels at the same time. James also wanted to
show that a car like his could be made in Aotearoa.
The Macdonald family thought James’s idea was awesome. His eldest son, James iti,
had one question: “Can I come, too?” James iti had been interested in the car from the
start, making lots of helpful suggestions, so his dad couldn’t really say no. In April
2006, the two set off from Bluff, at the very bottom of Te Waipounamu. Their
mission: to reach Cape Rēinga at the tip of Te Ika-a-Māui.
The two didn’t have a great start. The car was damaged while it was being transported
south. “Staying up and working through the night to fix the fuel system was a real
low-point,” says James nui. But once they were on the road, the rest of the trip was
smooth sailing … perhaps a little too smooth. Somewhere between Christchurch and
Blenheim, James nui got a speeding ticket! “I was a little bit surprised and very
embarrassed,” says James nui.
James iti had a slightly different opinion. “I thought it was a bit unfair, actually. Dad
was only a tiny bit over the limit – and it was an important trip.”
Driving over 3000 kilometres with no breakdowns is an achievement the Macdonald
family is very proud of. “Dad worked for hours,” says James iti. “We lost count how
many. And he tested his car over and over until he knew it would work.” The family
is also proud of James iti. He helped build the engine, made arrangements for the trip,
and was chief cameraman and chief navigator. “It was a great adventure,” says James
iti. “I got to travel all over New Zealand. I visited places I’d never even heard of.”
So what are James iti and James nui planning next? “I’m thinking I might become an
actor or a vege-car converter. I can’t decide which,” says James iti.
His dad is more definite. “A land-speed record for the fastest Māori vege car,” he
says.
In the meantime, if you’re ever driving around Palmerston North, watch out for the
vege car. You might even smell it first. Some say the engine smells like a barbecue.
Others say fish and chips. But you’ll have to decide for yourself.
Car Crazy?
New Zealanders love cars. In fact, for every thousand people, we have 620 cars. That
makes us the fourth-largest car-owning country in the world (after the United States,
Italy, and Australia). Most family cars have big engines, which means we burn
through a lot of petrol. Even worse, a third of all our car trips are to travel 2
kilometres or less.
Passage 3 The Vege Car
Who hasn’t grumbled every time they pull into a service station? The Macdonald
family of Palmerston North isn’t worried about the price of petrol. When their tank is
empty, they just pour in vegetable oil – the kind that takeaway shops use for frying
their chips. And yes, the Macdonalds can even drive their car on vegetable oil after
it’s been used for cooking – thanks to Dad, James nui Macdonald.
Around three years ago, James nui decided it was time to build a car that didn’t need
petrol. It wasn’t just to save money. James wanted to protest against the war in Iraq,
which he believes is partly about powerful countries like the United States wanting oil
from the Middle East. James nui, who is Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Whātua, also likes the
fact that his car is in keeping with traditional Māori values. These place great
importance on caring for the natural world – and driving a car that doesn’t put
harmful gases into the air is a great start. As James nui says, “Vegetable oil is 100
percent environmentally friendly – and it’s recycled!”
Harmful Gases
Driving a car that runs on petrol puts harmful gases into the air. These include carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrocarbons. Why are
they harmful? Because they cause health problems, such as asthma and cancer, and
they are responsible for climate change. In New Zealand, about 40 percent of our
carbon dioxide emissions comes from vehicles, mostly people’s cars.
For now, James nui is keeping the details of his work a secret, although the idea of
running a vehicle on cooking oil isn’t new. In 1893, a man named Rudolf Diesel
designed an engine that could run on vegetable oil – peanut oil, to be exact. Diesel
engines are still around, but most now run on crude oil … the stuff that James nui
wants to avoid.
After many hours of work, James’s persistence paid off, and his family was able to
drive about in what they call the “vege car”. The Macdonalds were hugely impressed
KAEL 211 Mahidol University Kanchanaburi Campus
5
with their environmentally friendly vehicle; other people weren’t so sure. “It’s great –
but is it reliable?” they all wanted to know.
To prove that their vege car was as good as any other car, James had an idea. Why not
drive from one end of the country to the other? That way, he could show off his car
and teach people about cleaner, cheaper fuels at the same time. James also wanted to
show that a car like his could be made in Aotearoa.
The Macdonald family thought James’s idea was awesome. His eldest son, James iti,
had one question: “Can I come, too?” James iti had been interested in the car from the
start, making lots of helpful suggestions, so his dad couldn’t really say no. In April
2006, the two set off from Bluff, at the very bottom of Te Waipounamu. Their
mission: to reach Cape Rēinga at the tip of Te Ika-a-Māui.
The two didn’t have a great start. The car was damaged while it was being transported
south. “Staying up and working through the night to fix the fuel system was a real
low-point,” says James nui. But once they were on the road, the rest of the trip was
smooth sailing … perhaps a little too smooth. Somewhere between Christchurch and
Blenheim, James nui got a speeding ticket! “I was a little bit surprised and very
embarrassed,” says James nui.
James iti had a slightly different opinion. “I thought it was a bit unfair, actually. Dad
was only a tiny bit over the limit – and it was an important trip.”
Driving over 3000 kilometres with no breakdowns is an achievement the Macdonald
family is very proud of. “Dad worked for hours,” says James iti. “We lost count how
many. And he tested his car over and over until he knew it would work.” The family
is also proud of James iti. He helped build the engine, made arrangements for the trip,
and was chief cameraman and chief navigator. “It was a great adventure,” says James
iti. “I got to travel all over New Zealand. I visited places I’d never even heard of.”
So what are James iti and James nui planning next? “I’m thinking I might become an
actor or a vege-car converter. I can’t decide which,” says James iti.
His dad is more definite. “A land-speed record for the fastest Māori vege car,” he
says.
In the meantime, if you’re ever driving around Palmerston North, watch out for the
vege car. You might even smell it first. Some say the engine smells like a barbecue.
Others say fish and chips. But you’ll have to decide for yourself.
Car Crazy?
New Zealanders love cars. In fact, for every thousand people, we have 620 cars. That
makes us the fourth-largest car-owning country in the world (after the United States,
Italy, and Australia). Most family cars have big engines, which means we burn
through a lot of petrol. Even worse, a third of all our car trips are to travel 2
kilometres or less.
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