Human Fat Fuels SUVs in Bizarre Story

Warning: This story gets weird quickly.

A Beverly Hills, Calif., plastic surgeon recently came under scrutiny for his claim that he was fueling a SUV with excess human fat he extracted from his patients. After bragging about his use of alternative fuel from thighs and posteriors on his website, Dr. Alan Bittner came under scrutiny from, among others, the California Department of Public Health and the state Board of Registration in Medicine.

Bittner subsequently shut down his Rodeo Drive office, took down the biofuel posts on his site and left the country for Bogota, Colombia. Our concern is not with any of the alleged criminal or ethical violations. Our question is: Can you fuel a car with human fat?

The answer is yes, a gallon of fat can be turned into roughly one gallon of biodiesel, but several savvy car websites have pointed out why Bitnner’s claim seems highly specious. Autopia notes that Bittner claims to have fueled his girlfriend’s Lincoln Navigator with the biodiesel despite the fact that there is no such thing as a diesel Navigator.

For those who still want to fuel their car with their thigh fat, don’t bank on a “lipo-diesel” appearing at a gas pump near you any time soon.

Fat-Fueled Ford Is Biodiesel Biohazard (Autopia)