Another thing to consider is that our refineries were built to maximize the amount of gas extracted from oil. Refineries in Europe are the opposite. This is another reason why diesel is more expensive than gas here. If passenger vehicles start shifting to diesel it will drive up the price even more.

As mentioned in the article one reason diesels get better fuel economy is the energy density of diesel. Another reason is the way diesel is burned. Diesel engines are compression ignition. They are also direct injection with lean burning capabilities. There are several companies like Honda and Mercedes that are developing compression ignition gas engines which will significantly narrow the gap between diesel and gas engines.

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