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75 comments on Ultra Low Sulfur Emission Diesel

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Valuethinker on October 13, 2006 - 11:11am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Half of new cars sold in Western Europe are diesels.

As I understand the facts, compared to petrol, diesel has:

  • 13% more energy per gallon

  • adjusting for that, 30% net higher mpg

The pattern of demand in western Europe is sufficiently distorted by the new popularity of diesels, that although it generally attracts lower duty (in a bid to encourage their use) the price here in the UK is generally 4-5p/litre (7-10 cents) more.  The refineries were configured to produce more gasoline when they were built.
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Glenn on October 13, 2006 - 12:27pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
That's pretty impressive that they are that popular in the UK. What's the consumer trade-off in Europe between diesel and petrol?

A diesel hybrid sounds pretty good from an energy / environmental standpoint with the new low sulphur content.

I suspect our refineries have the same bias toward gasoline/petrol.

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Robert Rapier on October 15, 2006 - 10:55am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I suspect our refineries have the same bias toward gasoline/petrol.

Our refineries are geared more toward making gasoline, but there is some flexibility. Right now, they are making as much diesel as possible because that's where the profit margins are better.

Europe encouraged diesels by putting lower taxes on diesel fuel. I wish we could do the same. It would greatly lower our fossil fuel usage due to the much higher efficiency issue. A diesel will get something like 35% more mileage per gallon of fuel than gasoline, and double the mileage of ethanol. See the first couple of paragraphs in my essay:

Biodiesel: King of Alternative Fuels

I break down some of the efficiency advantages of biodiesel, which also apply to diesel in general.

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Valuethinker on October 15, 2006 - 11:18am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Diesel now costs about 5p/ litre more than petrol (gasoline): 86.9p for petrol, 92p for diesel.

http://www.petrolprices.com/

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/38346/story.htm

a diesel car costs about $2500 more.

http://lib.smmt.co.uk/articles/sharedfolder/Publications/ACF22CC.pdf

p11 - diesel percentage of new cars:

UK - 37%
France - 69%
Germany -42%

Hybrid cars were only 6,225 (in 2004).  Alternate Fuel Vehicles (compressed gas) declined sharply due to the end of a tax subsidy scheme.

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alistairC on October 16, 2006 - 5:20am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Diesel cars cost more, but hold their resale value better, than petrol equivalents (people expect greater longevity from the motor -- this, surely, gives a better overall energy equation over the lifetime of the car!)

The high proportion of diesels in France is price-driven. Historically, diesel was about 20% cheaper at the pump than petrol, because of lower tax -- this was originally a subsidy for truckers. The tax difference has been phased out, but diesel remains slightly cheaper (current prices : around 1.05 euros per litre diesel, 1.15 petrol)

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praetzel on October 16, 2006 - 9:22am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
>As I understand the facts, compared to petrol, diesel has:
>
>    * 13% more energy per gallon
>    * adjusting for that, 30% net higher mpg

I just never see this realized!

My friend had a Golf diesel which was rated at 48hp
and got about the same milage as my Chevy Sprint rated
at 52hp (both almost 1,000km per same sized tank).

I see the difference as theoretical - but not realized in practice.

I'm saddened to see that there is only a 10% reduction for older engines as I was pushing my MP about this a few years ago.  Indeed in Canada it was a crying shame how a company wanted to sell and advertise their low sulphur fuel; but was barred by the government/industry because in 5, or so, years we were going to phase in the low sulphur fuels.

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Valuethinker on October 16, 2006 - 9:25am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
If you do a lot of city miles you should definitely get better Mpg out of a diesel-- it's much more efficient idling than a gasoline car.

Also I had a girlfriend who had an GM Vauxhall Corsa-- 52mpg (Imperial Gallons).  I think the petrol equivalent would have been about 42mpg.

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porsena on October 16, 2006 - 9:36pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Half of new cars sold in Western Europe are diesels.  ...and the corresponding figure for North America is in the range 2-3%. We've never valued fuel economy much and, ironically, just now that we might, the EPA has effectively regulated European diesel car engines out of North America (except for Mercedes Benz).
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