DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors Co. will spend the next five years working with federal authorities to study whether oil from a weed can become a sustainable source for biodiesel, the automotive company said Tuesday.
The partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy will study whether the jatropha plant can be a dependable biofuel crop.
Officials said they hope the research will determine if the drought-resistant plant that can grow with little maintenance on a small amount of land can produce enough oil to be converted into biodiesel.
They'll also research whether that biodiesel will be usable in engines working in varying climates.
