A new company offering rental cars powered entirely by bio-diesel has just set up
shop in Los Angeles. But there is a catch. Only one place in town to fill up.

Bio-Beetle Eco Rental Cars, which started out on the Hawaiian island
of Maui three years ago, opened for business near Los Angeles
International Airport with four cars fueled by filtered vegetable oil.

"I’ve
always wanted to come to Los Angeles," said founder Shaun Stenshol.
"California is known as an environmentally friendly state and LA is the
car capital of the world. What better place to do bio-diesel than Los
Angeles?"

"As far as bio-diesel rental cars, I don’t know of
anyone else doing it in the world," said Stenshol, a former Greenpeace
worker and environmental activist.

Bio-diesel costs $3.45 a
gallon — about $1 more than regular gas — but the cars get between
400 and 800 miles per tank. There is only one place where customers can
fill up but Stenshol said he hoped to help set up other refueling
stations in the Los Angeles metro area.

"There are people who say
it smells like popcorn, or French fries or doughnuts. But to me it is
just a pleasant tang," said Stenshol.