[Tupelo]

I guess we are in for another run of diesel automobiles. And same as the last time back in the mid 80s, we are going see the price of diesel fuel go up. Since this will raise the fuel costs for the trucking industry, we will see another round of inflation. Inflation that Washington will deny. AGAIN. Then we will see another round of complaints about diesel engines being dirty, inefficient and unreliable, brought on by the American people’s ignorance of the diesel engine. Then Washington in their ever so smarter than us mode will come up with “New Standards” for diesel engines and price them out of this market once again. Actually I did not know that GM had a automobile powered with a diesel engine. I cannot help but wonder if it is a true diesel or a giesel like the old Oldsmobile ‘diesel’.
Giesel = A gasoline powered engine converted to run on diesel

[2ndDivisionVet]

No, none of the diesels today are re-engineered gasoline engines, to my knowledge. I drive a 1984 Mercedes 300D turbo diesel sedan that I bought ten years ago for $100 and I get 25-30 mpg. The car weighs over 1 1/2 tons and is a tank. It’s a 5 cylinder, inline.

[Charles Martel]

I believe the engine in the Cruze is one that GM of Europe has been using in Opels and Vauxhalls for several years. Pity it’s in such a crappy car.

[Alberta's Child]

One problem nowadays is that diesel fuel taxes are much higher than gasoline taxes in many states. This is one reason why diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline in most places even though it costs less to refine and produce diesel fuel.

The implication here is that diesel-powered cars will have to be substantially more fuel-efficient than their gasoline-powered counterparts in order to make it worthwhile for motorists to buy them.

[thackney]

Some of this will be offset by a move by heavier trucks using more LNG over diesel.

[The Antiyuppie]

I’m not so sure that diesel will go up if autos use them. Firstly, I’d bet that automotive diesel is a drop in the bucket compared to heating, trucking usage, and so on. Secondly, as I understand it, you can ship diesel overseas, but gasoline is usually not viable. And, if you want to make a lot of diesel to ship overseas (like from fracking), you have to also make gasoline (this can be tailored to a degree).

What has made diesel very expensive compared to the old days is the “low sulfur” requirement and the additional requirements of the EPA on the fuel and on the autos that use them.