Comments on: Why is Diesel So Much More Than Gasoline?

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:36:43 +0000

It takes less oil to make diesel fuel than to make the different grades of gasoline. With the same size engine diesel power gets better mpg than gasoline (That’s why the transportation industry uses diesel engines). It going to take government legislation to increase the diesel fuel output and the number of vehicles that use diesel. The chance of that happening is small because of lobbyists and extreme right wingers who do not want government regulation or “BIG Government”.

By: Les

Les — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:27:21 +0000

My understanding is the refining process for diesel and gasoline are different. The refineries in the U.S. are set up to produce 10% diesel per barrel of crude. The cost to change the process to produce 25% (as is done in Europe) would take years and cost 100’s of millions of dollars. There is a moritorium on building refineries, AND the oil companies are making a killing because of low production of diesel. There’s no incentive to change the process. The government says no to and we’re making huge profits, so, why change what’s working.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:22:49 +0000

The answer to your question involves the excess gasoline being dumped on the US market from Europe due to the European automobile market being over 50% diesel. This depresses the US price for gasoline below world market levels. In addition the weak dollar has lead to US diesel fuel exports to Europe and South America further tightening the US diesel fuel market.

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:45:46 +0000

lowering sulfer rates in diesel did more than anything else to raise the price of diesel fuel

By: TOMMMY

TOMMMY — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:52:27 +0000

HOW ABOUT A QUESTION INSTEAD.
I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD [FOR THE LAST 50+ YEARS] THAT DEISEL IN MADE FROM THE WAISTE OF MAKING GASOLINE.
IS THAT TRUE OR NOT?

By: Janet

Janet — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:42:33 +0000

Diesel is still cheaper than gasoline in Canada and Europe, so the supply and demand answer doesn’t fit.

By: Curt

Curt — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:27:02 +0000

Considering the average unit sale for diesel is probably 80 gallons and the average gasoline sale is $20. The price for diesel should still be much lower. The need for low sulfur diesel was driven by the EPA and the refineries had to make changes. They could have recouped the cost over years but instead they are making us pay for the modifications up front.

By: ADRIAN

ADRIAN — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:40:04 +0000

You know I read all this so called supply & demand! That the speculators are the cause etc. But as I read before we still make the same amount of gas & diesel out of each gallon of crude. So that means the production and costs to make it stay the same. So if costs go up they should be the same perportion. But when gas goes up a dime diesel goes up 20-30 cents. The old saying if it smell,looks & tastes like ???? then it probably is!

By: mark rossow

mark rossow — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:12:47 +0000

Consider that you only get approx. 8.6 gallons of diesel per 44 gallon of oil. The demand in Europe China and India for diesel is exorbitant. If you also
realize that that Euro is valued at approx. 1.60 to the dollar, you would expect the refiners to sell our diesel overseas to offset the sagging value of the dollar. The bottom line is that there isn’t enough value to the refiners to manufacture more diesel.

By: Cynic

Cynic — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:17:27 +0000

My vote goes to something more sinister. Someone is sticking it to us to affect our economy.

If gas is expensive, that’s just going to affect the average consumer a bit, perhaps driving habits. People will buy less goods to compensate, but not a huge problem.

If diesel is expensive (which most trucks use), now all of a sudden you are dramatically affecting the price of doing business across the board, since trucks deliver such a variety of products, so now a wide variety of prices are going to go up, affecting more people and companies.

But this will all go away if we just start drilling in Alaska, right, W?