I remember when diesel was much cheaper than gasoline. That is why so many people switched over back in the 70s.
This article is unsatisfying arm waving.
More and more truck fleets are starting to convert to CNG.
I respect your opinion on this. Why is diesel 30% more than gasoline? I also remember in the 70’s when diesel was half the price of gasoline. Is there really that much tweaking room to increase gasoline gallons per barrel?
Was diesel that much cheaper? I can’t find a good chart showing at the pump diesel prices back then.
As the owner of a TDI vehicle, I have definitely noticed this discrepancy. Whenever the media trumpeted a picture of a gas drop, if there was a diesel price, it was far closer to the national average of diesel. Still the prices I am paying here in mid-Florida have now dropped below the price I paid 4 years ago, a very pleasant gift to my wallet. Another fact noticed in those 4 years is in times of sudden gas cost spikes like Southern California about a year ago (?) when even regular gas was above diesel.
Just some personal observations.
I remember .17 per gallon diesel. On a trip to Andros in 1962 we tanked up straight off the truck for .11 a gallon.
I have a question.
I thought a barrel of crude oil contained X gallons of gasoline, Y gallons of Diesel, Z gallons of heating oil and numerous other hydrocarbons like motor oil, heavy fuel oil, asphalt, etc.
Why does the season make any difference? If a refiner distills the crude in summer or winter doesn’t the oil produce the same amounts of each chemical?
What am I missing?.................
I am of the opinion that there will not be a drastic drop in diesel prices until three things happen:
1) EPA pollution regulations are adjusted to a per mile basis. This will favor the adoption of diesel over gasoline.
2) EPA regulations require engines to support at least a 50/50 blend of bio diesel / diesel. This will favor the use of bio diesel
3) Significant increase in the production of bio-diesel is encouraged by the dept of Agriculture (farmers using bio algae to produce bio diesel). This will increase the supply of bio diesel.
All three require regulatory changes that I am NOT comfortable with as I do not believe that the government should be in the business of choosing who wins and who loses in the economic game.
Gasoline hasn’t really fallen much where I live.