Written on: September 28, 2020
If you use diesel fuel in your personal car, or in your business, you may think you know all about it.
You may be surprised to find out that you may not! Check out these cool facts about diesel fuels.
Did you know that a gasoline-powered engine is only 20% efficient? Only 20% of the gasoline put into the tank goes into actually moving the vehicle. The other 80% is lost to things like friction, noise, engine functions, or exhaust.
Diesel-powered engines, on the other hand, are twice as efficient. They reach efficiencies of 40% … and higher!
When you have to move heavy vehicles like trucks, you need the more efficient, cost-effective fuel. That’s why diesel is so popular with trucks.
Stronger standards from the Environmental Protection Agency over the years, including mandates for using ultra-low sulfur diesel in both on-road diesel and off-road diesel, have led to today’s diesel fuels being more clean burning than ever before. And this is only the beginning. Technology is being developed that can help reduce diesel emissions from older engines as well!
If you saw a puddle of diesel fuel on the ground and threw a lit match into it, it would go out. Gasoline would ignite when the match hit the vapors before it landed in the gasoline. DO NOT TRY THIS.
You don’t want to be a leadfoot with a diesel engine. That’s because diesel engines reach peak power at speeds below 65 miles per hour. Depending on the vehicle and the specific engine, it is recommended to keep the engine running below 2,000 revolutions per minute for peak power.
A diesel engine injects fuel into a highly compressed air. There is heat already present within the internal combustion chamber and that is what ignites the diesel. With a gasoline-powered engine, the gasoline is mixed with air to make a vapor. That vapor is compressed by a piston and ignited by a spark plug.
Contact us to learn more about our diesel fuel services!