School me on Diesel Fuel.

Why is diesel so much more than any other Gas? Is it the demand from truckers or the refining process. Does it come from the same barrel of oil regular gas does, I assumed it does.

I assume since the inflated gas prices came about many people switched to diesel. Increasing the demand for it, and increasing the price.

I’m just speculating though.

do you even have the truck yet?

Extra taxes aimed at commercial truckers. Also, helps to keep efficient diesels like this: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_37/b4099060491065.htm?chan=autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories out of the US.

+1 to ILC on speculation, the demand has risen, so they keep prices at more of a premium, but the quality of the fuels are better than they used to be as well.

I dont understand how the demand for diesel has risen? there are still the same amount of diesels on the road as there were before the price increase,

its not like every other jetta sold is a TDI now.

the amount of cars on the road doesn’t have to change… The amount they are driven does :slight_smile:

so people are driving more because the have diesels?

No people are buying diesels from others and driving the diesels instead of other cars…

IE my father… is close to having no gasoline vehicles… my mother just likes her ranger so they haven’t parted ways with it yet… But so far they have I think 5 diesel cars…

People are making the shift over from gas because they can do things like Run Vege oil through it, or make biodiesel. This kind of thing catches the news and the assumed use of diesel is higher therefore assumed demand is higher at the same supply = Higher Diesel prices.

It use to be diesel users… now its a diesel community

Don’t our vehicles overseas run diesel?

Can’t be demand stateside, that has decreased.

Speculation… the root of all evil.

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/44435

maybe diesel but the quality of gas has decreased over the years, with alcohol being one of the reasons.

Brian

Don’t you just love how ethanol is terrible for your exaust and valve train?

Diesel has gone downhill as well, clean diesel is crap.

Our diesel is absolutely horrible. One of the reasons we don’t see a lot of those sweet European diesels over here is because they can’t run our fuel.

That FETCH Fuel Catalyst actually helps clean and condition our fuel for increased MPG and power.

Diesel Fuel costs more in the US because they [the evil Republican-Christian-Oil-Government Complex] figured out that they can charge more and get away with it.

That said, for some reason the powers that be don’t want diesel vehicles in the US. They always prop up the image of the underpowered and slow awful vehicles of the late 70s. Or that of loud, smokey Detroit Diesels in Maximum Overdrive. Hollywood doesn’t help since trucks in movies always had the pumps messed with so they would smoke more for effect.

The hybrid is another problem. The marketing folks in America have decided that hybrids are the baby. Its green marketing for you. A Prius has less room, inferior perfomance, costs a couple grand more, and IMO looks like ass compared to a Jetta. But Prius is the “green” future with “new” technology.

Fiend540 is right about clean diesel being crap. It adds too much cost. Every time I look at buying a diesel car or truck the price of fuel kills it. Fuel price is probably what will kill the diesel car in the US. This writer agrees.

http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_diesel_doa_us/

It’s almost like the price of diesel is rigged. If you calculated dollars per mile on mpg and fuel price alone you will get almost an identical price. It worked out that way when I was looking at a pickup. I did the same calculation for my Mazda3 vs a new Jetta TDI. The dollars per mile was within $.002. Thus the fuel with a diesel costs the same but the diesel costs you more. More up front which equates also to more in interest and more in tax. And PM is usually a little more on diesels.

In the past you could argue reliability. Diesels would pay off over the long run. Now it doesn’t unless you tow or drive lots of miles heavy. All the emimssions crap has decreased the long term advantage of diesel IMO. Sure, at 100,000 miles the diesel in your F250 is just broken in. But when you have to buy a new DPF for $1100 (I’m not kidding on price call your dealer) that just added 10 cents to your cost per mile.

I love diesels as much as anybody, but until the price of fuel is on par with gasoline they aren’t cost effective other than in the most extreme cases. It just makes me wonder if the price of fuel is pegged high here to keep diesel cars out of the mainstream.

^ I agree with everything that Brockway said, but I would like to add that Diesels have a very high resale value.

Why doesn’t everyone just run vegetable oil? I’m getting clean, filtered oil for $1.00 per gallon… :gotme:

initial start up cost and time?

sell gasoline powered car
buy diesel vehicle
buy veggie kit
install time and or labor
finding a consistant veggie oil supply

My kit is:

http://www.dinofuelalternatives.com/

Install time was a little over 5 hours. 3 guys, 1 with Vegistroke experience, the other 2 are weekend mechanics. Little skill is actually needed for this kit.

Constant supplies are easy, as long as you’re buying. If you’re looking for free oil, so is everyone else. I’m too lazy to find my own, so I pay other people to get it for me.