Many people have their personal preferences but what are the facts? Diesel and Gasoline have been rivals for a long time and lots of different opinions have floated around about what is better to get or in what situation it is best. From emissions to fuel economy, below will list some of things to consider when you are making the decision to switch the type of fuel you are using.
This is the stereotype. Perhaps once true, or based off of fact, these vehicles don't actually deserve the rap they get. But as modern fairy-tale lore is starting to prove, a lot of these bad guys are simply misunderstood. Poor villains. Poor diesel vehicles.
So let's create a "Wicked" story for diesels. The Wicked Witch will obviously be played by the diesel. And the Good Witch will be gasoline based vehicles. If you are unfamiliar with "Wicked" here's a quick overview. Everyone hates the Wicked Witch because she is green and ugly and doesn't have a great sense of fashion or social skills. She also happens to be very powerful.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The money
Both have their individual strengths and weaknesses. One just got off on the wrong foot with the world and is having trouble overcoming that. So let's see what we can do by debunking some of these evil diesel myths.
The purr of your car
Diesels are dirty. This is false. Once, many of them were. But recently, they've cleaned up completely and no longer spew out those awful bursts of black smoke. Regulations have helped diesels clean up their act and they are now just as clean (if not more) than gasoline powered vehicles. Diesel emissions have improved incredibly over the years.
Myth 2
The great pacific garbage patch
Longevity
They won't start in winter. Also false. While it is true that diesel fuel does start to gel up in lower temperatures (starting around 40 degrees), modern technology takes care of that problem. Many vehicles are equipped with special tank heaters (aka glow plugs) or anti-gel solutions that can be mixed with the fuel. These methods, among others, help the fuel vaporize and run just fine in any temperature. Naturally, there are more myths out there that uninformed fanatics will cite, but these three take care of most of the general public's fears. Next time you purchase a car, don't pass by diesel so quickly!
This is the stereotype. Perhaps once true, or based off of fact, these vehicles don't actually deserve the rap they get. But as modern fairy-tale lore is starting to prove, a lot of these bad guys are simply misunderstood. Poor villains. Poor diesel vehicles.
So let's create a "Wicked" story for diesels. The Wicked Witch will obviously be played by the diesel. And the Good Witch will be gasoline based vehicles. If you are unfamiliar with "Wicked" here's a quick overview. Everyone hates the Wicked Witch because she is green and ugly and doesn't have a great sense of fashion or social skills. She also happens to be very powerful.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The money
Both have their individual strengths and weaknesses. One just got off on the wrong foot with the world and is having trouble overcoming that. So let's see what we can do by debunking some of these evil diesel myths.
The purr of your car
Diesels are dirty. This is false. Once, many of them were. But recently, they've cleaned up completely and no longer spew out those awful bursts of black smoke. Regulations have helped diesels clean up their act and they are now just as clean (if not more) than gasoline powered vehicles. Diesel emissions have improved incredibly over the years.
Myth 2
The great pacific garbage patch
Longevity
They won't start in winter. Also false. While it is true that diesel fuel does start to gel up in lower temperatures (starting around 40 degrees), modern technology takes care of that problem. Many vehicles are equipped with special tank heaters (aka glow plugs) or anti-gel solutions that can be mixed with the fuel. These methods, among others, help the fuel vaporize and run just fine in any temperature. Naturally, there are more myths out there that uninformed fanatics will cite, but these three take care of most of the general public's fears. Next time you purchase a car, don't pass by diesel so quickly!
About the Author:
When the California Air Resource Board's diesel emissions regulations first came out, Michael Schwartz, now President of FleetServ, started getting calls from panicked Fleet Managers looking for straight-forward information and compliance assistance. While FleetServ (formerly known as ACT Compliance) was originally formed to meet this need, over time it has changed into much more.