, If you are looking for PlantDrive components, please visit our new online store by clicking here. If you need some assistance, go to the contact link above, and send us an email. If you would like to know more about the whole history of PlantDrive and the process of converting diesel engines to run on plant oil...read on! First, some history. PlantDrive was originally known as Neoteric Biofuels. Neoteric was started by Edward Beggs and Henry Mackaay in Kelowna, BC, Canada in late 1999, just as Ed was finishing a Master of Science thesis at Royal Roads University on the subject, which he gave the appropriately lengthy title of "Renewable oil fuels and diesel engines as components of sustainable system design". You can find that here. Originally, it was not clear to either of the founders which direction the business might go, since Ed had been researching both biodiesel and straight vegetable oil (SVO) systems. Eventually, the decision was made to work with SVO.
Early on, Ed was phoned by Craig Reece in Berkeley, California to do some consulting for Craig's project vehicle, a Land Rover that he was interested in converting. As Craig became more interested in the subject, he started arranging conversions for others. Later, when Henry became overly busy with his property development work and decided to sell his shares, both he and Ed felt that a phone call to Craig was in order, to see if he would like to buy Henry's half of the company. Craig enthusiastically responded in the affirmative, and the company now had both a new co-owner, and more of a presence in the US market. Before long, workshops were being conducted all over, including one on Vancouver Island. It was here the Ed was introduced to Dr. Björn Ratjen, who became an active dealer/installer, and today is the owner of the online store where you are taken if you click the online store link above. More on all this as time allows! :-)