Diesel fuel costs about the same as gas, and diesel cars consume a fair bit less
More diesels than EV sold in Europe in January 2024
- Thread starter Jetronic
- Start date
Diesel fuel costs about the same as gas, and diesel cars consume a fair bit less
Diesel fuel is more than premium gasoline in a land where regular gas is prized by most because "it's cheaper".
Most are not that good at calculating fuel cost per mile, either.
I took a more comprehensive, long term approach; I installed solar panels for home energy savings, thinking I might buy an EV one day.
Now that I have an EV, my fuel efficiency and ease of fueling are off the freakin' charts.
Of course my use case is different from many.
Now that I have an EV, my fuel efficiency and ease of fueling are off the freakin' charts.
Of course my use case is different from many.
But I made that calc too. to cover the electric bill for an EV, I'd need about 10k in solar panels and home batteries, and it would only charge my car in the 6 months around summer. Add 10k to the cost of an EV, and charge costs for 6 months (and electric for the home 365 days, or I'd need even more panels and batteries) and a charge point and I can't break even. After all that I can't even charge the car legally as it's not allowed to run a cable across the sidewalk. Fines for that can be $10k per infraction.
It varies, but by me it is often enough a 75 cents a gallon upcharge for road diesel over 87 octane gasoline. There was a period of time where the upcharge was about a dollar a gallon.
It's between E95 and E98 in price here, but used to be cheaper than E95. Taxes were raised to get people to buy gas powered cars after dieselgate.
Real world MPG of modern gas engines coupled to 8-10 speeds or CVT has a narrowed gap of the MPG advantage in diesels. It used to be quite drastic, not so much anymore.
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The Europeans are about to shoot themselves in the foot again. They already did that when they closed many of the nuclear plants.
JHZR2
Staff member
Other than places like northern Norway where electric is near free (and not for long as they’re starting to sell to the rest of Europe at market prices), electricity is expensive. Gas is more expensive than diesel. It all adds up.
JHZR2
Staff member
It’s only a dead market because of idiotic CARB, and the fact that the epa allows scrutiny of ppb of NOx to appease LA, while allowing any sort of guzzler on the road. It was clear it was all a total farce when 50MPG VW (emissions cheating or not) were labeled gross polluters, while 8MPG ford excursions could be labeled “partial zero” emissions vehicles…
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+1 absolutely spot on. Well said!
For many of us those panels are more of a hassle than they're worth. Then there's the added cost of roof replacement at some point in time when they have to be removed and reinstalled to replace a roof. At that time do you reuse old solar panels or upgrade to the latest and greatest come roof time? I now know of three people who had problems with birds and squirrels taking up free housing under them. A friend spent a small fortune getting rid of squirrels and fixing the damage they caused. I caught some static about posting that here, people saying the installation was done wrong and to sue. LOL try suing a company that went belly up, and several did, or made their money and left. I was also told they're supposed to have provisions to keep animals out. I look out my front window every morning and see my neighbor's house across the street and another neighbor next door with solar panels and not one has any provisions to keep animals out. Next door I've seen squirrels under his. In fact looking around the neighborhood seeing provisions to keep animals out is a rarity. Probably because the owner's of houses that had problems paid additional money to fix and keep animals away, after the fact. Maybe preventative measures to keep animals out is a regional thing. But solar panels are a hard no for me.
+2 Well said! That's what happens when there's an agenda, and the agenda is quite clear.
I had my concerns about that a few years ago, wondering if that was their plan. Friend of mine did get solar, and by the sounds of it, that is just what his installer did.
I can’t say that all are like that, but I think I’ll wait on it all the same.
Diesel hybrid with start stop and the chemical processing unit for emissions control? You gotta be kidding reaching for new heights of complexity. Might as well make it a plug in with roof mounted solar panels while you’re at it.
Again the sales numbers from 80s on were very clear , very little uptake or interest in diesel cars and CUVs. Yes regulation finished it off however the interest was never there.
JHZR2
Staff member
I’d blame that on a wide range of things, including the stupidity of the consumer. The same idiot that accelerates into a red light, only to waste their fuel and brake pads. Those types. I’m sure they exist in Europe too, it’s not an American phenomenon, it’s just that the acceptance for somewhat slower or underpowered cars that can’t do this in excess is greater there I guess.
Sorry, the world-over acceptance and purchase of diesel vehicles isn’t wrong, just because it isn’t the norm in the USA.
The whole DEF situation and oddball tuning that makes them less efficient really shot a hole in them getting any real attention in the US. That also made them more expensive. Diesel in cars in the US was nearly as niche as EVs. They have a bad rap because of how abysmal 80's American diesel cars were. They can be good, but not with what the US emissions require of them.
