Why is Europe so fond of diesels?

[Paul Nicholson]

At 8:27 AM -0800 2/10/01, <isham-research.freeserve.co.uk at pop.pol.net.uk> wrote:
> > Also, taxing. Today's efficient TDI engines taxed lower in Germany than
>> gasoline engines.
>
>Fuel used to be a lot cheaper here, too.  Now diesel has been hiked
>above petrol.

There's two reasons for the cost rise in Diesel fuel.

1) New diesel fuels require extra processing to remove the sulphur required now in the mandated cleaner burning fuels.

2) Modern refining technology allows the heavier hydrocarbons to be cracked and made into the lighter hydrocarbons in Gasoline. Back 20 or 30 years ago, gasoline was the light stuff that cooked out of the crude first, and diesel was the byproduct. Now what once would have been Jet fuel and diesel can be made into gasoline.

Paul