Cars

Ahh you remember it dont you Sitting in the back of your familys station wagon as a kid your father pulls up to the gas pump and a station attendantan occupation about as extinct as the dinosaurscame running out with a rag in his hand leaned into th
Ahh you remember it dont you Sitting in the back of your familys station wagon as a kid your father pulls up to the gas pump and a station attendantan occupation about as extinct as the dinosaurscame running out with a rag in his hand leaned into the drivers window and said Diesel or unleaded

Those days are long gone And Im not just referring to the attendant Nowadays at least in the US you can expect to find three things at a gas pump selfserve pay first and unleaded gasoline only

Misconceptions about diesel fuel being dirtier than unleaded gas several years ago ultimately led to diesels obsolescence in the more environmentally progressive United States Car companies began to manufacture cars that for the most part ran on traditional gasoline

In response however steps were taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel and now major car companies have begun to sell dieselpowered vehicles to consumers once again

In the past especially in the United States diesel fuel was considerably dirtier than unleaded gasoline Vehicles in the United States also tended to be built for traditional gasoline with the exception of large trucks buses and semis In recent years however steps have been taken to improve the cleanliness of diesel fuel through regulation and many companies have begun selling popular consumer cars that run on diesel fuel

One such company is Isuzu Motors known for its popular 5passenger Ascender SUV and two models of highperforming pick up trucks the i290 and i370 Isuzus diesel engines have won a laundry list of awards in past years including Truck of the Year by Motor Trend Magazine Executive Diesel Car of the Year 2002 by Diesel Car Magazine a publication in the UK Germanys best small and compact car of the Year 2001 by Mot Magazine published in Germany as well as having been named multiple times by Wards Communications of the US as one of the 10 Best Engines In addition Isuzu vehicles were voted the top mediumduty truck brand six times in seven years by truck dealers Impressive but not fully convinced that diesels better Keep reading

Diesel fuel actually burns more efficiently than gasoline thus having a better fuel economyabout 30 more efficient on average Why

Diesel is denser than its unleaded competitor Proponents of gasoline are quick to point out that diesel engines produce more greenhouse emissions which is true emissions with diesel are about 15 higher than those of traditional unleaded gas due to higher volumetric energy density However the increased fuel efficiency more than offsets the higher percentage so in the long run diesels produce less emissions 15 more per gallon used but a trip in the good ole family car will use 30 less fuel to get to wherever youre going

Granted this wasnt the case with Dads old wagon Back then before the antidiesel crusade diesel engines were creating more emissions because they simply werent efficient Now with the modern diesel engine achieving a 20 40 better fuel economy its time to give diesel a second look

But thats not the only exciting news about diesel Originally the diesel engine was created as a way to run vehicles using vegetable oils While farmers originally couldnt compete with big oil companies with gas prices soaring theres been a renewed interest in alternative fuel sourcesand foodbased diesel fuels can be produced quickly cheaply and with the abundance of products grown in our very own country These hybrid diesels also known as biodiesel are compatible with existing diesel engines and can also be made from waste oils gathered from restaurants or homesan alternative that serves several ecological benefits at the same time