Diesel vs. Unleaded: The Truth About Fuel Economy

Ahh, you remember it, don't you? Sitting in the back of your family's station wagon as a kid, your father pulls up to the gas pump and a station attendant-an occupation about as extinct as the dinosaurs-came running out with a rag in his hand, leaned into the driver's window and said... "Diesel or unleaded?"

Those days are long gone. And I'm not just referring to the attendant. Nowadays, at least in the U.S., you can expect to find three things at a gas pump: self-serve, pay first, and unleaded gasoline only.

Misconceptions about diesel fuel being "dirtier" than unleaded gas several years ago ultimately led to diesel's obsolescence in the more environmentally progressive United States. Car companies began to manufacture cars that, for the most part, ran on traditional gasoline.

In response, however, steps were taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel and now major car companies have begun to sell diesel-powered vehicles to consumers once again.

In the past, especially in the United States, diesel fuel was considerably dirtier than unleaded gasoline. Vehicles in the United States also tended to be built for traditional gasoline, with the exception of large trucks, buses, and semis. In recent years, however, steps have been taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel fuel through regulation, and many companies have begun selling popular consumer cars that run on diesel fuel.

One such company is Isuzu Motors, known for its popular 5-passenger Ascender SUV, and two models of high-performing pick up trucks (the i-290 and i-370). Isuzu's diesel engines have won a laundry list of awards in past years including "Truck of the Year" by Motor Trend Magazine, "Executive Diesel Car of the Year 2002" by Diesel Car Magazine (a publication in the U.K.), "Germany's best small and compact car of the Year 2001" by Mot Magazine (published in Germany), as well as having been named multiple times by Ward's Communications of the U.S. as one of the "10 Best Engines." In addition, Isuzu vehicles were voted the top medium-duty truck brand six times in seven years by truck dealers. Impressive, but not fully convinced that diesel's better? Keep reading...

Diesel fuel actually burns more efficiently than gasoline, thus having a better fuel economy-about 30% more efficient on average. Why?

Diesel is denser than its unleaded competitor. Proponents of gasoline are quick to point out that diesel engines produce more greenhouse emissions, which is true, emissions with diesel are about 15% higher than those of traditional unleaded gas due to higher volumetric energy density. However, the increased fuel efficiency more than offsets the higher percentage, so in the long run, diesels produce less emissions- 15% more per gallon used, but a trip in the good ole family car will use 30% less fuel to get to wherever you're going.

Granted, this wasn't the case with Dad's old wagon. Back then, before the anti-diesel crusade, diesel engines were creating more emissions because they simply weren't efficient. Now, with the modern diesel engine achieving a 20- 40% better fuel economy, it's time to give diesel a second look.

But that's not the only exciting news about diesel. Originally, the diesel engine was created as a way to run vehicles using vegetable oils. While farmers originally couldn't compete with big oil companies, with gas prices soaring, there's been a renewed interest in alternative fuel sources-and food-based diesel fuels can be produced quickly, cheaply, and with the abundance of products grown in our very own country. These "hybrid diesels" also known as "biodiesel" are compatible with existing diesel engines and can also be made from waste oils gathered from restaurants or homes-an alternative that serves several ecological benefits at the same time.

Diesel vs. Regular Gasoline: Which Is Better For The Environment?

With the implementation of alternative fuel sources on the minds of many, diesel is now under the microscope more than ever. Although diesel-powered vehicles have been around for a long time, gasoline is still the primary fuel source for most North American vehicles. Why has diesel not been used as a fuel source in more vehicles? Which is better for the environment? These are questions that are being asked more frequently as the search for alternative fuels is weighing heavily on more people's minds.

Gasoline vs. Diesel

It turns out that gasoline is more volatile than diesel, not because of what its base consists of, but because of the additives it contains. In addition, vehicles that use diesel tend to be more fuel-efficient and produce less greenhouse gasses. In that respect, diesel is more environmentally friendly. Diesel actually produces 15% more in greenhouse gasses than gasoline when compared by the litre rather than the gallon. Yet it is through the 20-40% improvement in fuel economy over gasoline that offsets the higher emissions per litre. In actuality, the carbon dioxide emissions are considerably less than gasoline, but diesel does contain 2,778 grams of carbon per gallon, whereas gasoline contains 2,421 grams per gallon. But, again, it is the fuel economy of diesel that accounts for the smaller rate of carbon emissions.

Then again, diesel fuel contains larger quantities of sulfur. The United States has what is considered to be the dirtiest diesel, but as of June 1, 2010 this is going to be different. U.S. diesel fuel has a lower measure of ignition quality. This means that when it is cold outside, ignition performance is poor and can result in higher emissions. This is why you see truck drivers idling their trucks all night long in cold weather rather than risk a troublesome start in the mornings.

But, the sulfur in the diesel that is emitted during cold ignitions and long engine idling is still harmful to the environment because the sulfurs prevent the control of diesel particulate emissions through diesel particulate filters. This is changing, though, since new advanced technologies such as nitrogen oxide absorbers are being developed to reduce these emissions.

As for gasoline, it is the non-aliphatic hydrocarbons as well as carcinogenic additives that avoid engine-knocking that threaten the public's health and the environment. This exposure happens in the case of gasoline leaks and then, of course, there are the carbon emissions we hear a lot about. Leaks occur when trucks begin leaking the gasoline they are carrying, storage containers are not stored properly, and from motor vehicle leakage. The harmful additives in gasoline can get into groundwater and contaminate public water supplies.

However, Dieselization is becoming a more common use of diesel as a fuel in motor vehicles, although it is determined that both diesel and gasoline have harmful effects on the environment. When we look at the carbon emissions of both, we find that diesel will emit more per gallon (or litre), but when you look at how much you have to fill the fuel tank with diesel versus how much you have to fill with gasoline, you will find that the percentage of emissions is offset for diesel, which can be friendlier on the pocketbook. On the other hand, sulfur is emitted by diesel and diesel does not perform as well in cold weather as gasoline, so until 2010 when diesel is cleaned up, gasoline may be slightly more environmentally friendly than diesel in respect to the emissions from automobiles. As for ground contamination, diesel has an edge over gasoline in keeping our world clean.

Are Natural Gas Vehicles Safe?

Natural gas is an environmentally clean, plentiful, low-cost, domestically-produced fuel for motor vehicles. But is it a safe fuel? Any automobile fuel can be dangerous if handled improperly. Fuels contain energy which must be released by burning. Gasoline is a potentially dangerous fuel, but, over time, we have learned to use it safely. The same is true of natural gas. Natural gas safely generates our electricity, heats our homes and cooks our meals. But, like gasoline, natural gas must be understood and respected to be used safely.

Natural gas is a naturally occurring fuel which requires very little processing before use. Chemically it normally consists of over 90% methane with smaller amounts of ethane, propane, butane, carbon dioxide and other trace gases. The high methane content gives natural gas its high octane rating (120-130) and clean-burning characteristics, allowing high engine efficiency and low emissions. As with all vehicle fuels, natural gas can be used safely if simple, common sense procedures are followed. In fact, natural gas has safety advantages compared to gasoline and diesel: it is non-toxic, and has no potential for ground or water contamination in the event of a fuel release. An odorant is added to provide a distinctive and intentionally disagreeable smell which is easy to recognize.

The odor is detectable at one-fifth of the gas’ lower flammability limit. Natural gas vehicles have an excellent safety record for two primary reasons: the properties of the fuel itself and the integrity of the natural gas vehicle and its fuel delivery system. Natural gas has a very limited range of flammability – it will not burn in concentrations below about five percent or above about 15% when mixed with air. Gasoline and diesel burn at much lower concentrations and ignite at lower temperatures. Although it takes very little energy to ignite a flammable mixture of air and natural gas, gasoline, or diesel, natural gas burns at a somewhat lower temperature.

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From the gas field to the vehicle’s engine, natural gas requires very little processing to make it suitable for use as a fuel. Gasoline and diesel must be processed from crude oil in large and complex oil refineries. After water vapor, sulfur and heavy hydrocarbons are removed, natural gas flows by pipeline (the safest way to transport energy) directly to the fueling station where it is compressed for use. Alternatively it may be liquefied at cryogenic temperatures on site or at a central facility and delivered by truck. Gasoline and diesel are delivered to fueling stations by tank trucks over the highway. At a compressed natural gas fueling station the gas is compressed before being provided to vehicles at 3000 to 3600 pounds per square inch (psi). Stations can deliver a “fast fill” to vehicles in minutes or, using a “slow fill” strategy, in a few hours to overnight.

Although the use of high storage pressures might appear dangerous, compression, storage and fueling of natural gas vehicles meet stringent industry and government safety standards. Natural gas powered vehicles are designed and built to be safe both in normal operation and in crashes. New natural gas vehicles are subjected to the same crash tests as other vehicles. Natural gas vehicle fuel systems must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 303 and 304. Natural gas cylinders are much thicker and stronger than gasoline or diesel tanks. Industry standards require them to withstand 11,250 fill cycles, and endure far beyond normal environmental and service damage risks.

Although there are approximately 85,000 natural gas vehicles now operating in the United States, there has not been a fuel tank rupture in over two years. In Italy, with over 300,000 NGVs in operation, there was only one fuel tank rupture during the last three years.

In conclusion, technical data, appropriate safety regulations and years of experience show natural gas vehicles to be as safe as, or safer than, conventionally fueled vehicles.

Save your Diesel Dollars and Prolong The Life of Your Diesel Truck

With the growing costs of gasoline and diesel fuel around the world, people are going to great lengths to find means of prolonging the life of their limited fuel dollars.

One method that has been proven to be effective in stretching the fuel buck is the process of using additives that are known to make automobiles run more efficiently, which in turn, reduces the consumption of gas. At today’s prices believe me we all want better mileage from the diesel fuel we put into our vehicles.

From a consumer’s perspective better fuel mileage is more money in the bank. But the benefits of FuelBoost Diesel Additive go far beyond simply stretching the dollars that go into the fuel tank of your automobiles, or for that matter, fuel that comes from traditional pumps. Additives also works with alternative fuels that are used by those who not only wish to save money but also wish to contribute in efforts to minimize their personal impact on global warming.

As far as the possible equipment that allows for use of an additive the possibilities are wide indeed. Diesel engines are a prime candidate for an additive with the powered down formulas of todays diesel fuel blends.

When you think of all the diesel engines that are on the market these days you should realize that this means that diesel additives are an excellent choice for busses, cars, trucks, boats, tractors, and farm equipment that rely on diesel fuel.

The many reasons why using a reliable safe diesel additive are many and include things such as: eliminating the sludge and debris that may be gumming up the works causing loss of power and lower gas mileage, lowering emissions that lead to pollution and a larger personal footprint when it comes to global warming, fewer repairs over the lifetime of the vehicle that uses FuelBoost regularly as opposed to fuel with no additive.

You should also notice much lower maintenance needs such as new fuel filters and the like because the fuel is running cleaner. Little things like this save much more money over time than you may realize over the fuel savings alone.

If you are like most Americans you have done your part to make sure that you are lowering the consumption of diesel you go through in an average drive. Things such as adjusting air pressure, turning off the air conditioner, and avoiding stop and start traffic whenever possible go a long way towards saving you money.

These things save pennies, which add up fast. FuelBoost however saves nickels and dimes, which add up much more quickly in the long run.

Take your dollars back and place them in your pockets rather than those of greedy oil companies by using fuel additives such as FuelBoost Diesel Additive to get the most value for your diesel dollars.
If you travel a great deal or use your vehicles, tractors, or farm equipment daily for work you might be absolutely amazed at how cost effective this additive makes the fuel buying process when compared to purchasing diesel fuel without the helpful benefits of a premium additive.

I hope that gives you some ideas where an additive would become proactive in your maintenance program. I have also given some links below where you may find some solid track record products.

Gale Banks - A Legend Among Gas And Diesel Truck Enthusiasts

Gale Banks is a gearhead, die-hard enthusiast, and a leader in the automotive community. With over 50 years of experience working on gasoline and diesel engines, he is a valuable resource for anyone looking to extract more power out of their car or truck engine. He is best known for his Banks Monster Exhaust systems and the Banks Bullet power programmer. These parts are made for a large variety of vehicles and are custom made to work seamlessly with the car or truck, requiring no modification for installation.

It was Jay Leno, the late night talk show host and world renowned car enthusiast, who had the original idea to put a 1,790 cubic inch V-12 engine from a Korean-war era M47 Patton tank into a car. It was a marriage of Frankenstein proportions, but it wasn't crazy enough for Mr. Leno. Many people would ask, isn't 810 horsepower enough for a street car? Jay Leno didn't seem to think so and felt that twin-turbo charging the engine would deliver the level of insanity he was seeking. For this reason, Jay contracted Gale Banks of Gale Banks Engineering for his personal advice and expertise in producing his one-off Tank Car. After much research, trail and error, and fabrication, Gale was able to create one of the most ludicrous machines ever made by man. To sum up the modifications made to the M47 Tank engine, Banks added to the mix an entirely new exhaust system, a revised intake manifold, twin turbochargers, and a built from the ground up fuel system to make this V-12 monster push out more than 1600 horses and over 3000 foot-pounds of torque! Due to the excessive wheel spin and to make the car more street-able, the car was tuned down to around 1200 horsepower. Needless to say, Jay Leno is overly pleased with the results of his absolutely mad concoction. He is also proud to comment that not only has Gale significantly improved the power output, but also the fuel economy!

Project Sidewinder is another one of Gale Banks side ventures into diesel performance. Project Sidewinder is the fastest diesel pickup truck in the world, pushing out quarter-mile times as low as 12.16 seconds at 115 miles per hour! To produce the 735 hp and 1300 lb-ft of torque, Banks had to make several modifications to the stock system. Some of the major additions include ram air ducting, an improved cooling system, new fuel rails and fuel pump, extensively modified cylinder heads, and a Holset Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT).

The VGT is a particularly important choice for getting quick quarter-mile times as it allows the turbocharger to maximize boost created for any given RPM range. It does this by changing the angle of incidence of the turbines to minimize turbo lag and backpressure. This in turn minimizes the time it takes to spool the turbo and maximizes boost across the RPM band. Variable Geometry Turbines are a relatively new advancement in turbocharger technology and are proving to give many the extra edge in performance they need to win races and take home the prize. In fact, VGT is one of the latest technologies that Porsche has incorporated into their 911 Turbo to help keep it in the forefront of the ultra competitive battle for the top supercar.

Diesel Vehicle Offerings Poised To Expand

Diesel powered vehicles have never been popular in the US, despite previous attempts to promote this technology by leading manufacturers. Indeed, many motorists recall GM’s failed bid to market diesel engines during the late 1970s to mid 1980s as a big reason to stay away from diesels. As you may recall, GM had to recall and replace the engines as they were plagued with crankshaft bearing problems. Many motorists cited other problems too including, blown head gaskets, warped heads, and bad fuel injectors. A well publicized class action suit against GM shut down the company’s diesel program and resulted in GM replacing thousands of diesel engines with gasoline engines. Despite the earlier problems, many automakers are now poised to offer diesel engines as engineering changes have made diesels much more reliable and environmentally friendly. Let’s take a look at the diesel engines powering current and future vehicles traversing America’s highways.

Mercedes Diesels – With five diesel models offered, Mercedes is leading the way. Its 3.2L 24-valve inline-6 diesel engine powers the E320, resulting in fuel savings of up to 30% and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Dodge Trucks – Cummins has been producing turbo diesels for Dodge Ram trucks for years. The current 610 model offers best in class horsepower, excellent torque, and terrific towing capacity.

Jeep Liberty – Using Mercedes technology, the Jeep Liberty common-rail diesel powering some models helps to boost torque by 45% and bump up fuel mileage by about one third. The Liberty diesel has been a strong seller for the Jeep brand.

Volkswagen – Mentioning “diesel” and omitting “Volkswagen” would be a travesty. Indeed, the German automaker is one of the largest producers of diesel engines in the world. For the U.S. market, a 1.9L four cylinder powers the cars while a humongous ten cylinder diesel can be found in the Touareg, the automaker’s luxury SUV.

Honda – New to the game, Honda is promising that diesel versions of several of its cars will be made available by 2009. Along with its hybrid emphasis, Honda is pushing diesels to bolster its already well earned “green” image.

BMW, Range Rover, Ford, GM, and Chrysler all offer diesels although with the first two they are only sold in Europe. Ford taps Navistar for its big diesels while GM uses Duramax, a joint venture between it and Isuzu.

Smaller diesels have yet to grab hold, but that may all change. Talk of smaller, lighter diesels built for American cars have been circulating for years with joint ventures involving Isuzu, Honda, VW, and Mercedes mentioned as possibilities.

Demand for diesels is increasing as fuel prices continue to surge. Auto registration records are indicating that diesel purchases have doubled in the past five years alone. With cleaner technology in place and all of the kinks worked out, consumers can be expected to demand diesels in greater numbers. This is good news for those who are concerned about America’s over dependence on foreign oil.

Gas & Diesel Prices Are On a Constant Rise - What Can We Do About It?

You can hear it from among any corner of circle nowadays, the rising cost of fuel is one of the most discussed topics anywhere. Not only are fuel prices getting higher but basically anything that is consumable is going up with it. It is impacting almost anything that has to be transported by truck (and what doesn't?) from a bag of flour to a box of baby diapers. Grocery has gone up 10 to 35 percent within the past year. Rising gas prices are hurting us all.

The prices keep climbing & diesel seems to be even more expensive than gasoline these days. Diesel was always cheaper to refine than gasoline but now the so called experts are claiming that it is more expensive to refine. Diesel also allows for better mileage than gasoline. Go figure.

Inflation is definitely rising & the price of diesel is the main reason for it. It is creating a domino effect throughout the world; Trucking companies have to pay more so they naturally have to charge more to stay in business. Manufacturers & shipping companies have to pick up the bill & then end up charging the retail chains more. The retailers end up having to jack up our all of their prices & guess who picks up the tab in the end? Well you, me & maybe even Dupree has to. Consumers are always at the low end of the totem pole.

Can we do anything about all of these price hikes you may be wandering?

No, not really.

You can't do anything about the rising costs but you can do the following 2 things:

1. Cut back on your consumption.

Or

2. Increase your income.

Let's face it folks. All we can do is complain about it. We can complain to our friends, family & even the government. That is like preaching to the choir. I recommend saving your energy fighting this issue because there is really no point. You will have to either downsize your spending & economize or somehow increase your income. Here are some examples in economizing:

1. Trade in your nice big gas guzzling but beautiful SUV for a Hyundai.

2. Buy less grocery or other consumable items.

3. Car pool.

4. Rent out your basement.

This is basically cutting back on all the costs of keeping your current lifestyle & settling for less than what you deserve.

I know this doesn't sound very nice but hey everyone is doing it, why shouldn't you?

I would much rather follow Robert Kiyosaki's advice in his recent book "Why We Want You To Be Rich" that he co wrote with Donald Trump. The main message in this book was if you can't beat them then join them. If you can not do anything about inflation & have to choose between being rich or poor, then choose to be rich.

There are always different methods to increase your income. You can always put in some more overtime at work or even get an additional part-time job. While these methods can help increase your active income, I don't think that was their intention for you when they released that book. Here are some methods for increasing your income:

1. Passive or Residual Income. This is where you can make income from real estate rental property or limited partnership etc. This type of income doesn't require extra man hours (labouring) on your part but will provide you with an additional income stream. This is leverage.

2. Portfolio Income. This is additional income that you earn from investing, trading, stocks & bonds etc.

It will take money to make money. Yes you will have to spend a little more to make more or accept having to work longer hours at work for less family or leisure time.

The rising costs of fuel is definitely taking its toll on most consumers these days but not for everyone. Many will find new possibilities for themselves. One person will see this situation as a problem while another will be forced to become creative & see an idea or solution. The emphasis is placed highly on creativity.

Remember that in every dark cloud there is a silver lining.

This situation will have an impact on you whether you choose to believe it or not. The real question is what are you going to do about it?

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