$4.07 per gallon of diesel

[TObject]

Yep, I just paid $4.07 per gallon of diesel fuel.

I asked a petrochemical engineer on what were his thoughts about why diesel fuel is pricier than gasoline. He gave me the reason I haven't heard before.

Turns out (and don't quote me on the numbers). Refineries in Europe are built to produce about 50/50 percent ratio of gasoline to diesel fuel. In the United States, where motorists traditionally disliked diesel, refineries were built to produce about 90 percent gasoline to 10 percent diesel. Now that folks here start to realize the benefits of diesel technology and popularity of diesel engines skyrocketed, so has the demand for diesel fuel.

But with no new refineries built in 30 years and unlikely to be built any time soon, the future for diesel fuel prices in the US looks grim.

[ABQ TJ]

ugh, that's hard to hear...

I've begun driving my Jeep on more of a daily basis because of diesel prices. Even though the Jeep gets below average MPG, it's cheaper for me, with gas being around $3.10-ish.

[Jerry Bransford]

I thought diesel cost less to produce because it took fewer steps in the cracking process to produce than gasoline does. I always assumed the manufacturers were just jacking the price up of diesel because they could.

[speaceman]

I thought diesil prices in the U.S. are higher because the U.S. is so reliant on shipping via truck, which affects demand?

With the increasing sales of diesil cars though, it's only going to get worse. I just read today that Subaru is going to be offering turbo diesil engines in their line up in two or so years.

[Joe Dillard]

Prices have been soaring.

May want to check this out if you haven't yet:

http://www.sandiegogasprices.com/index.aspx?fuel=D

You can click on the different tabs for different grades.

[Stuart]

I saw diesel in Simi valley off Sterns for 4.25 per gallon two weeks ago, should be 4.60 at that station now. Glad i own a diesel that i drive 400 to 500 miles a week.

[igofshn]

Propane 2.86. My sammi is great.

[TObject]

Originally Posted by igofshn

Propane 2.86. My sammi is great.

Diesel is still cheaper if you measure by energy content.

[Rockjeep]

$4.20 up here in big bear.

[igofshn]

Originally Posted by TObject

Diesel is still cheaper if you measure by energy content.

I get almost 25 miles per gallon, How could it be cheaper????

[JeepGal]

Chris and I are still getting biodiesel for a ~buck a gallon But not often enough to run it continually. Peformance is diminished, but you cant beat the savings.

I think were going to see about going in with someone and producing our own here soon.

Tam

[Kiwi]

Washington, D.C., ? Struggling biodiesel producers have found a way to stay in business despite soaring production costs. They're putting their biodiesel on ships and sending it to Europe.

It's economical to export biodiesel because U.S. taxpayers subsidize the fuel additive and it also benefits from tax incentives in Europe and the relative weakness of the dollar against the euro. The weak dollar makes U.S. products cheaper compared with European goods.

Rest is here
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/app.../1029/BUSINESS

[Mike94yj]

I saw $4.34 in Oakland,CA for ULSD yesterday. I usually burn through about 90~130 gallons a day (5.5 to 7.5 mpg depending on what's in the trailer). Looking at maybe $5.00 by the end of summer.
To make matters worse the new EPA '07 engines get worse mileage that the older engines and the ULSD gives up 1 or 2% also.

Mike

[DanB98TJ]

It has been in the $3.85-3.95 range here for the past few weeks, but I figure it'll jump again pretty quickly (unleaded jumped six cents overnight).

I can't afford to drive the truck to work any more - the Saturn gets 33 MPG, more than twice what the truck gets. If I didn't need a tow rig I'd just sell it instead of letting it collect dust.

[Joel77]

The fact that the dollar is so weak isn't helping as well.

[TObject]

Originally Posted by igofshn

I get almost 25 miles per gallon, how could it be cheaper?

Because if you were running diesel, you’d be getting 38 miles per gallon, just on the BTU content difference of the fuel alone, before you even start considering better efficiency of the diesel engine technology.

[TObject]

Here is a fresh article that outlines the current developments in the engine fuel economy arena:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/29/auto...ents/index.htm

[Matt Pascoe]

While I do agree with what he's saying, you do have to consider the source

said Uwe Grebe, General Motors' executive director for advanced powertrain engineering.

[William]

Originally Posted by TObject

Yep, I just paid $4.07 per gallon of diesel fuel.

And I thought the 2.63 dollar a gallon they are charging the government for water here was bad..

[steelman]

Diesel price in Redondo Beach a couple weeks ago...