Stephen Lederman is the man. The past year he started a company with the full snowboarders mentality which is don’t talk about what you want to do, just do it. Stephen started an environmentally friendly taxi service in the Lake Tahoe region called Eco Taxi. He offers a person or group rides to and from the mountain/ bar/ local grocery store even during the harshest of storms. EcoTaxi is currently a two truck fleet and can operate in three foot storms. The best part is the trucks run on vegetable oil, the next best part is Stephen rips on his snowboard. Put your reading glasses on and enjoy the Snowrev interview with one kid who is changing the world.
SR: First off, how long have you been snowboarding, and who are your influences?
ET: I grew up in Arizona and didn't know what snow was until I was sixteen, but then I moved to Flagstaff Arizona and have been snowboarding ever since, Long live the Arizona Snowbowl.
SR: Which Lake Tahoe resort is your personal favorite?
ET: Sugarbowl is one of my favorites, Good snow, Great Terrain, Great park, and not crowded. Also Alpine Meadows, Boreal, and, of course, Diamond Peak
SR: What exactly is Eco-Taxi, and why should people be stoked on it?
ET: Eco-Taxi is an environmentally Friendly Transportation Service in the Truckee/Tahoe area. All of our vehicles are powered by vegetable oil recycled from local restaurants. We produce less than %15 of the emissions of normal vehicles and our fuel is completely renewable.
SR: The Keep Tahoe Blue campaign is pretty big, did this have any effect on your decision to start Eco-Taxi?
ET: I feel a lot of the 'Green' programs around here are just marketing campaigns or clever catch phrases and have little actual impact for our environment, Eco-Taxi was started to promote the use of alternative fuels in our society and educate people about these things.
SR: When did you decide you wanted to start Eco-Taxi, and how long did it take to get going?
ET: I have been operating Eco-Taxi for about a year now and I feel like people are finally starting to realize what it's all about. It took a while to get going, finding the right vehicles and converting them and getting all the licensing and so on.
SR: How did you first come across the whole using vegetable oil as a source of fuel idea?
ET: I have been running my trucks on waste vegetable oil for years. The first truck I had I took on a road trip to Alaska and back collecting fuel from restaurants along the way. There aren't many restaurants out in the Canadian Rockies but there are a lot of strip clubs, which is funny.
SR: What are the benefits of using vegetable oil as a source of fuel?
ET: It is low emissions, Carbon Neutral, No Sulfur, and Completely renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. It can get a little messy at times but it is worth the trouble.
SR: What's the gas mileage like compared to burning regular fuel?
ET: same gas mileage, same horsepower. Exhaust smells like popcorn.
SR: What steps would a normal person have to take to switch to vegetable oil?
ET: First, you have to have a diesel vehicle, burning oil only works with compression ignition engines. Fact: The diesel engine was invented to run on peanut oil. Then you are basically installing a secondary fuel system on the vehicle that will heat and filter the oil and deliver it to the engine in proper form. There are kits you can buy and people who do the conversions for you. I do many of these conversions myself. http://veggietaxi.com
SR: How expensive is conversion to vegetable oil?
ET: For big trucks, you are looking at 2 to 4 thousand dollars, which you will easily save in fuel costs. For smaller cars a 5 hundred bucks will do it.
SR: You have two vehicles operating now, are there plans for more vehicles or other plans to use other alternative fuel methods?
ET: I do plan on adding more vehicles as things get busier. I also want to dabble into powering cars with hydrogen, but that is a little trickier than the vegetable oil.
SR: While we're on the vehicle subject, what are the two vehicles in your fleet and which is your favorite?
ET: I have a Ford F-250 Crew Cab with leather interior and it's fancy, fancy. It is great for hauling people and their gear around. Sometimes I even do backcountry tours and pull a trailer full of snow machines around for people. I plan on getting a tow dolly and pulling people's cars home from the bar when they are too drunk to drive them but need their car in the morning. This truck is unstoppable in 3 feet of snow. I also have a Mercedes Benz sedan that gets 35 miles per gallon in a world of expensive hybrids that can only claim 30 m.p.g. And I never have to put fuel in it. But that truck sure is Fancy.
SR: What would you like to tell the world about Eco-Taxi?
ET: It is an example of alternative fuel, but not necessarily the solution to our fuel problems, not everyone can run around to restaurants and collect fuel. There is also a limited supply. However look to algae to solve our future fuel needs. We can make Biodiesel, Ethanol, and livestock feed all from algae that can be grown in wastewater out in the desert. Other than that Eco-Taxi is the new standard in transportation.
SR: Aside from Eco-Taxi, what else do you do?
ET: I Snowboard and Skateboard whenever possible, I also work as A freestyle terrain consultant in the winter designing and building terrain parks and freestyle contests for Parkitecture, http://parkitectureterrain.com
SR: Anyone you would like to thank?
ET: I would like to thank everyone that uses Eco-Taxi, its a step in the right direction
If you are going to be shredding in the Tahoe area this winter hit Stephen up for a lift at STEPHEN@VEGGIETAXI.COM or by telephone: (530) 386-3836
- Stephen Lederman frontside boardslide at Squaw
- What does Stephen Lederman do when he is not changing the world? He gets busy on his snowboard.
-Stephen Lederman. Get a ride from the kid who knows how to ride.
If you are going to be shredding in the Tahoe area this winter hit Stephen up for a lift at STEPHEN@VEGGIETAXI.COM or by telephone: (530) 386-3836