Fleet Services recently converted 60 of its 650 university vehicles to create the first fleet in the state to use soy diesel on a daily basis, according to CytoCulture International, an environmental biotech company based in Richmond, Ca. Cleaner air-quality mandates from the state and federal governments inspired Jack Harris, manager of Fleet Services, to switch to the soy-bean-oil alternative a month ago. "We wanted to save money and improve air quality," Harris says. A substance called glycerin is extracted from the soy bean oil, which turns the oil into an efficient petroleum substitute. Since this substance is chemically less complex than gasoline, it burns with fewer pollutants. Instead of buying new alternative-fuel vehicles, which would have cost $100,000, for $70,000 Harris modified the engines of the diesel vehicles to adjust to the alternative fuels. Obtaining and storing the fuel is relatively easy for the fleet, Harris reports. Cyto-Culture mixes 20 percent soy bean oil and 80 percent diesel at its tank farm in Richmond and ships it to UC Davis. Harris says no extra storage room is needed to handle the fuel. Despite the benefits of using soy diesel, one significant drawback remains for soy diesel users. The bio-diesel fuel is sold for about $4.50 per gallon, more than twice the price of petroleum diesel.