Tyson Jerry
Tyson Jerry 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. To amplify its educational message, the campaign incorporated a bold expedition to demonstrate the real-world viability of waste-based fuels.
First Attempt (2008)
On October 1, 2008, Jerry and his teammate, Cloe Whittaker, launched the Driven to Sustain expedition from Mile Zero in Victoria, British Columbia. Driving a 1993 Mitsubishi Delica van modified to run on biodiesel and waste vegetable oil, they embarked on a cross-continental journey intended to break the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by car using alternative fuel.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 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.
Guinness World Record Journey (2009–2010)
Following extensive repairs to the vehicle, Jerry relaunched the expedition solo on November 15, 2009, resuming the route from South Carolina. Over several months, he traveled through nearly every Canadian province, most U.S. states, and parts of Mexico, collecting waste vegetable oil from restaurants to use as fuel.On May 4, 2010, Jerry completed the journey in Vancouver, British Columbia, having driven 48,535.5 kilometres —surpassing the previous Guinness World Record by more than 10,000 kilometres.
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 or waste vegetable oil. This system retained the original diesel tank 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 —close to the engine’s coolant temperature of approximately 90°C.
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, 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. Jerry later transitioned into a leadership role as Manager of Hydrogen Infrastructure & Investment within FortisBC’s Low Carbon Transportation program, concentrating on accelerating the adoption of hydrogen fuel technology in medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets. In this capacity, he works on expanding hydrogen refueling infrastructure and integrating zero-emission hydrogen vehicles into commercial operations, helping to drive the transition to cleaner transportation in the trucking and transit industries.
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.