Riding 1,200 Miles on Biodiesel to Prove Biofuels Work Today

Fueling the Future, One Mile at a Time

I’ve spent the last 12 months tirelessly piecing together a biodiesel-powered Harley Davidson—from scratch—to prove that clean fuels are not just a dream for tomorrow. They are viable today.

In 1 month, I’m riding the BioMoto 1,200 miles across the West Coast, stopping at 7 major universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley etc.). I’m compelling students, fleet operators and the public to demonstrate how used vegetable oil (biodiesel) can reduce CO2 emissions by 74% in existing vehicles.

But I need your help to bring this across the finish line.

Why This, Why Now

Universities and companies discuss sustainability—but most of their fleets still run on diesel. Heavy-duty electric alternatives are unproven, and batteries require:

Cobalt - mined by children, women and men in the DRC, where 7 fathers are dying a week in collapsed mines

Copper - rainforests burnt to the ground in Amazon basin, Brazil

What if we could use waste vegetable oil derived biofuel—fuel we already throw away—to power our trucks, tractors, and maintenance vehicles? What if university fleets could run on fuel from their own cafeterias?

That’s the problem I worked on for 18 months. My team and I developed biodiesel tech alongside our university’s 400-vehicle fleet operator to make low-emission fuels work in cold climates. I installed it in a diesel engine. And I mated that 3-cylinder Kubota engine onto a Harley Davidson.

This project started as a student research initiative at UBC. Now, it’s become something much bigger—a campaign to change how we think about sustainable transportation.

️️Who I Am

Hello, I’m Alex Jennison—am integrated engineering student with a passion for mobility, clean energy, and design.

My journey began by building electric skateboards age 13… which was amazing fun until I learned about the environmental cost of mining cobalt, lithium and copper. That realization pushed me to push deeper—and to build something more ethical, more scalable, and more practically sustainable.

This motorcycle is the result of that pursuit: over a year of MIG welding burns, broken parts (and spirits), very long nights in the machine shop, and unwavering belief that there had to be a better way. That this bike would generate change.

The Mission

This summer’s campaign is the proof of concept.

I’ll visit 15+ dealerships, 7 universities, and countless communities across the West to spread this message:

️ Clean fuels are viable today

‍ Students can solve global problems, starting with their local community

️ We redefine sustainable innovation: by rethinking what surrounds us

With a videographer in tow, we’ll be capturing every mile to inspire future students, educators, and policymakers. We’ll spread this like a firestorm. But I can’t do it alone.

How You Can Help

I’m raising funds to cover the core costs of the campaign:

Fuel (yes, used cooking oil/ biodiesel)

Every dollar goes directly into the trip—nothing fancy, just enough to complete the mission, bring the story to life and let it live forever on the internet.

Let’s Make This Real

If you’re a mentor, a teacher, a family friend, an alum—someone who believes in bold student-led projects—I’d be honoured by your support.

Even a small donation helps fuel this journey. And if you can’t contribute financially, just sharing this campaign to 1 person means the world.

Thank you for being part of the ride.

— Alex or AJ (as some of you know me)

UBC Engineering

Founder, BioMoto

To find out how the funds will be allocated, please see my google sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TlXx0mnZRv8thkRBBIv-bh1DUiG8lyABnkK9NroFwGE/edit?usp=sharing

For those who may know companies that want a unique story and rolling billboard, please introduce me through alex {at} gobiomoto dot com

For those who donate, please fill out this form for thank you gifts: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQxCE2KozxJW8RTcJ70dUqYDZzZaW0Jo9AizDPJfUivL6VBw/viewform?usp=header