Why is Europe so fond of diesels?

[Per Lindgren]

Tom Nas wrote:

> Robert Myers <rmyers at oak.total-web.net> wrote:
>
> >There is another factor some might consider.  The only difference between
> >Number 2 diesel fuel and number 2 home heating oil is the highway use taxes
> >applied on road fuel which is not applied to home heating oil.  The two
> >"different" fuels come from the same tank at the refinery.  An
> >"unscrupulous" person might well purchase heating oil and store it in a
> >nice large tank in or near to his garage for use in his diesel powered
> >vehicle.  Now, of course, I would have never advocated such a tax avoidance
> >dodge back when I was driving a diesel powered VW rabbit.  :-)
>
> They put some red dye in heating oil here in Holland that shows up when
> they test your car for it. When you're stopped for a check-up and are found
> to have traces of the dye in your fuel system, you're due in court. You'll
> be fined as if you've been running your car on fuel oil since day one and
> your fine will have to make up for the difference.
> Trip to the poorhouse, for most.

Exactly the same thing done here in Norway. The diesel is divided in two
tax-types. 1) Auto-diesel with heavy taxes, and 2) Industry-diesel which is
taxless for tractors, boats etc. The Auto-diesel cost about $1 per liter, the
industry-diesel cost about $0.40 per liter.

PerL