Tyson Jerry

Tyson Jerry (born October 23, 1983) is a Canadian Guinness World Record holder, environmentalist, and speaker best known for his work promoting alternative energy and sustainable transportation. He holds the Guinness record for the longest journey by car using alternative fuel, set during a 2009–2010 expedition.

Early life and education Jerry was born in Orangeville, Ontario, and raised in Wyevale. He attended Wyevale Central Public School before graduating from Elmvale District High School. To support his post-secondary studies, he worked in the silviculture industry, planting over one million trees and supervising the planting of an additional 5 million during his tenure as a tree-planter.

Driven to Sustain and Campaign Origins

In 2008, Tyson Jerry co-founded Driven to Sustain, a non-profit sustainability campaign created in partnership with the Sierra Club of British Columbia and supported by Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment.

The campaign aimed to promote the use of alternative fuels and engage students across North America in climate action and environmental education.

Central to the initiative was the development of the "Sustainable High Schools Kit"—a free, downloadable curriculum co-designed with Sierra Club educators. The program encouraged student-led efforts to reduce carbon footprints and compete in a continent-wide sustainability challenge.

During the journey, the team visited numerous schools and community events, using the expedition as a platform to educate youth on renewable energy and ethical consumption. After covering 19,697 kilometres (12,239 miles) through Canada and the eastern United States, their journey was cut short near Columbia, South Carolina, due to a mechanical failure. Despite not reaching the record, the trip was seen as a proof-of-concept for long-distance sustainable travel.

A map of North America depicting Tyson Jerry and Cloe Whittaker’s two expeditions as part of the Driven to Sustain campaign. The purple line shows the first attempt in 2008, which covered 19,696 km before ending in South Carolina due to mechanical failure. The red line traces the record-breaking second journey completed in 2010, spanning 48,535 km across Canada, the United States, and Mexico using only alternative fuels (biodiesel and waste vegetable oil).

Throughout the expedition, Jerry delivered sustainability presentations at schools and community organizations, reaching more than 10,000 students. The campaign received widespread national and international media coverage, generating over 100 million media impressions through outlets such as CBC, Reuters, NBC, Fox News, and others.

Fuel System and Conversion Technology The 1993 Mitsubishi Delica L300 used for the expedition was outfitted with a two-tank fuel conversion system to allow operation on straight vegetable oil (SVO) or waste vegetable oil (WVO). This system retained the original diesel tank (used for biodiesel in this case) and added a 200-litre auxiliary tank for SVO. A key requirement of such systems is fuel temperature management: vegetable oil must be heated to reduce its viscosity and enable proper atomization in diesel engines.

Engine coolant heat was utilized to warm the vegetable oil via heat exchangers, fuel lines, and a dedicated heated filter unit. The fuel passed through a hose-in-hose system, heated filter, and an electric fuel heater installed just before the injection pump, ensuring the SVO reached at least 70–80 °C (158–176 °F)—close to the engine’s coolant temperature of approximately 90 °C (195 °F).

Fuel switching was managed by solenoid valves and a computer controller. The engine always started and shut down using biodiesel from the stock tank. Once the engine coolant and vegetable oil reached the necessary temperature threshold (typically around 77–80 °C), the system switched to SVO for the remainder of the drive. Prior to shutdown, the system purged the SVO from the lines by switching back to biodiesel, preventing injector coking and cold-start issues. This procedure enabled the van to operate on WVO for approximately 99% of its journey while maintaining engine reliability.

Career Following the Driven to Sustain expedition, Jerry continued to advance sustainable transportation through his professional career. He spent several years working on projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions in commercial vehicle fleets.

In 2016, he joined FortisBC, a provincial energy utility in British Columbia, to focus on renewable natural gas and low-carbon transportation initiatives.

Throughout his career, Jerry has remained a vocal advocate for sustainable innovation. He frequently speaks at conferences and educational institutions, sharing his experiences with alternative fuels and encouraging businesses and communities to embrace low-carbon technologies. By leveraging his Guinness World Record platform and industry expertise, he continues to champion initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transportation and inspire broader adoption of renewable energy.

Personal life Jerry resides in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. He has two children. Publicly available interviews and profiles note his interest in outdoor activities and environmental sustainability.

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