With regard to the problem of possible shortage of fuel in the operations of heavy vehicles, the main physical and chemical properties of three vegetable alternative fuels were tested and analyzed for the characteristics of vegetable alternative fuels in heavy-duty diesel engines and a study on combustion and engine performance characteristics were carried out in a 150 mm single cylinder diesel engine. Results show that: Under normal temperature conditions, the kinematic viscosities of the two edible oils are 14 and 17 times that of diesel, while the cetane numbers are only 64% and 73% of the diesel. The cetane number of biodiesel is higher, and the ignition performance is good, but the density and viscosity are higher. The kinematic viscosities of alternative fuels for vegetable fuels vary significantly within the temperature range of 20 ℃ to 40 ℃, and decrease during the range of 40 ℃ to 60 ℃. Under the calibration conditions, the single cylinder diesel fueled with alternative fuels have lower peak cylinder pressures than that of diesel fuel and the combustion starting points advance and the durations of heat release continue to increase, the maximum pressure rise rates decrease. Under the maximum torque condition, the starting points of combustion are delayed when fueled with vegetable fuels, the peak values of the pre-mixed heat release are higher, the heat releases are more severe, and the maximum pressure rise rates increase. The exhaust temperatures of the biodiesel in the single-cylinder engine under both operating conditions are 13 ℃ and 19 ℃ lower than that of the diesel engine respectively. The exhaust temperatures of the two edible oils are basically the same as that of the diesel. The maximum power and torque of diesel engine fueled alternative fuels are lower than that of diesel, and the fuel consumption rates increase. Among them, the power reduction of single-cylinder engine under the calibration condition for the use of bio-diesel is 7.78%, fuel consumption rate increase by 15.2%, which is the most significant change.