Anyone else notice when gas was 4 bucks a gallon diesel was 5? That's a 25% difference. Now that gas is 1.89 here diesel is 2.01. Barely a 6% difference. Does anyone else think we got gouged?

 

One thing is for sure and that is we will get it again eventually.

 

hmm where i live right now diesel is cheeper then gas and when i was driving to fort mcmurray diesel was 68 cents a ltr. in a place called grass lands made me want to fill the tidy tank! i could not beleive that!

 

If everyone that didn't need a diesel would start driving gassers again, the price of diesel would probably be under reg unleaded again.

Makes me happy to see more and more hybrids, economy cars and Prius' on the road.

Jason

 

ya thats true but i love diesel but so good mpg

 

I'm still not sure about hybrids yet. The ones available so far do not impress me. But you are right that diesels became a fad in the build up to the summer of 2008. Lots of people bought and drove big diesels when they didn't really have to. The EPA restrictions have more than eliminated any fuel economy that a diesel truck might have over a gasser, so aside from being "cool" to buy a new diesel, there really isn't a practical reason for it anymore. Of course, the drop in diesel fuel economy also takes a toll on supplies and refining capacity. Mandating bio also pushed the price higher.

Its too bad, because I regard the diesel engine to be naturally superior to the gasoline engine because of thermal efficiency, even though they are more expensive and generally not as powerful for the same size and weight.

From what I understand, diesel was originally a by product of refining gasoline and wasn't really a fuel that anyone wanted to burn. Now that everyone wants a diesel, the price goes up. Even at 25% price difference, its still worth my while to drive my truck, but if it ever happens again (unlikely in a recession) I can always put my F150 back on the road and burn LPG instead.

An electric conversion may be in the cards for the F150 in the distant future but its not worth while right now and range is a big problem, so its diesel or LPG for me.

 

Diesel used to be a byproduct of gas. But there was not near as many trucks on the road nor trains on the tracks. Add in the popularity of the diesel pickups where there were none. Now the ever changing refining regs. We use a lot more diesel than we use gasoline so no more byproduct.

 

The problem with Hybrids is you are going to have to replace the batteries every 3 or 4 years, Smaller diesel cars like Volkeswagon Jetta get almost the same MPG and diesel is a much more proven technolegy than hybrids. Diesel used to be cheaper than gas, but now it is almost always higher. Some of the reasoning is the competition with home heating oil and mainly they are just gouging it b/c so many big trucks have to have it.

 

And don't forget the taxes on diesel.

 

The battery life is a myth. Only the tesla roadster uses 3-5 year batteries, or a back yard electric conversion that uses golf car batteries. Toyota nickel hydride batteries last for over 10 years on average and have been well documented.

Most hybrids are not really true hybrids by my definition. All the energy still comes from an on board fuel tank, they just use it better by having regenerative braking and launch assist. But once you get up to speed the engine runs just as much as any regular car. Frankly, the pruis owes most of its MPG performance to its aerodynamics rather then the "synergy drive system". Look to honda for cars that get similar MPGs but without the hybrid premium (or smug surcharge).

Diesel cars like the VW TDIs were doing great until the EPA came along and put an end to that (much like in the late 80s). In reality a diesel engine that is well tuned for the highway will out do a hybrid for raw MPGs at cruising speed, but in the city, the hybrid can do better.

A diesel/electric series hybrid would yield the best of all worlds, but no one will pay for a car or truck that expensive. Besides, you will probably have to tow a trailer behind the vehicle to carry all the emission control equipment so there goes your MPGs.

 

From what I understand most hybrids can't touch the vw diesels and the little ford overseas they are claiming 60 to 65 hwy miles.
There is a lot of truth to the trailer full of emission equipment and I feel it will be getting worse in the next few years.

Have you seen where california has been proposing outlawing dark colored cars because it takes too long for the air conditioner to cool the interior down.

But were going GREEN at its finest.

 

all this emissons stuff is b.s. just like the carbon tax they want us to pay to breath because we exhale co2 that is a "greenhouse gas" oh wait whats that all plants need co2 to live and they turn it into oxygen huh who would have thought

 

Doesn't surprise me that some one would think about outlawing dark colors to try and save the planet. Hot rod shops would never stand for it though and I don't think politicians will be able to sell the idea or convince anyone to enforce it in the state that seems to have bling as its 3rd biggest economic engine.

The european ratings can be a little decieving. They use larger gallons to calculate their MPG ratings than the USA. Same up here in canada where they use 4.66L gallons which can make for some rather hillarious MPG claims. Chevy silverado getting 30 MPG? I think not.

"going green" has certainly given a bad name to some of the otherwise good ideas that people might have tried. I like clean air, tall trees and clear water, but the environmental crusaders are basically all liars. They know that only through taxes, will they ever earn a decent wage though government funded research, so let the scare mongering begin because they want a raise.

 

I don't know if the carbon tax movement can be stopped at this point. Its practically a done deal and only a matter of time. Short of algore saying he said was wrong and very sorry for what he did (never happen), the public opinion is not strong enough to stop it even if it was unpopular, and really it isn't as unpopular as some other things that happened.

 

i think its time to move to canada