Diesel Fuel Vs. Unleaded
"Diesel or unleaded?" The day when station attendants asked this question passed many years ago, but with the improved standards for diesel fuel, some consumers find themselves asking this question again when choosing between vehicles with a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.
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Efficiency
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Diesel has a much higher fuel efficiency than unleaded gasoline. Old diesel engines had poor efficiency, but in an effort to avoid becoming obsolete, diesel regulations tightened, creating a denser fuel capable of burning 30-35 percent less fuel than unleaded gasoline.
Pollution
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Unleaded gasoline burns cleaner than diesel fuel and some older diesel cars fail to pass the emission standards of certain states. Improved standards for newer diesel engines lessened the problem, but unleaded gasoline remains cleaner.
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Power
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The power of diesel engines and gasoline engines seems comparable. Unleaded gasoline technically has more power then diesel fuel, but diesel engines generally have a V6 or turbo charged feature and diesel creates more torque than gasoline, aiding in powerful accelerations.
Cost
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Diesel fuel costs more than unleaded gasoline, but cars that run on diesel use less fuel than cars that run on gasoline. The price of gasoline relies on the price of crude oil, as does traditional diesel. Non-traditional diesel fuels, like biodiesel and synthetic diesel, rely on vegetable oils and animal fat, or hydrocarbons, respectively, but have poorer efficiency than traditional diesel.
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References
- Photo Credit diesel storage tank image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
