Diesel Vs. Unleaded Cars
Fuel price is not the only difference between diesel- and unleaded gasoline-powered cars. Diesel-powered cars use an entirely different ignition process because of the nature of the fuel they use.
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Spark Ignition
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In a gasoline engine, ignition takes multiple steps. Air is first mixed with vaporized gasoline. Pistons in the compression chamber increase the pressure of the mixture. The spark plug finally ignites this compressed mixture.
Compression Ignition
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By comparison, diesel engines force the fuel into highly compressed cylinders. The intense air pressure inside the cylinder, about 100 kilograms per square centimeter, super-heats the air inside -- to temperatures as high as 2,480 degrees Celsius. When the fuel is injected, the intense heat and pressure ignite the fuel.
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Cost of Ownership
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Because diesel cars are built to handle more pressure and stress, and output more torque, they're built from more expensive parts. The average diesel car costs around $6,000 more than its gas-burning counterpart, as of fall 2010.
Resale Value
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The resale value of diesel cars is highly tied to the cost of diesel fuel. For example, in the summer of 2008 diesel began to cost significantly more than unleaded fuel, and some cars lost as much as 25 percent of their resale value. According to Michael Omotoso, chief power train forecaster for J.D. Power and Associates, diesel sales accounted for 2.3 percent of all U.S. domestic sales in September 2010.
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- Photo Credit Tankstelle image by Angelika Bentin from Fotolia.com
