# Why is diesel more expensive than regular gas lately? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665 "2005-11-12T01:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crimmsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Crimmsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crimmsy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/1 "2005-11-12T01:29:00Z")
I first noticed this trend whilst driving through the US from Saskatchewan to southern Ontario a few weeks ago. I had always remembered diesel being cheaper (and, for that matter, the price always seemed to vary less) than regular gas. Now, diesel is more expensive. I’m wondering if there’s any reason for this, or if it’s just as mysterious as everything else about gas pricing? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/2 "2005-11-12T02:27:29Z")
According to [http://www.theoildrum.com/](http://www.theoildrum.com/), it’s because half the refineries down south, plus their supporting infrastructure, got pasted by the hurricanes, so the ones left had to choose whether to make gasoline or diesel, and they chose mostly gasoline to keep the greater part of the US wheels on the roads. Only now will they switch to diesel and heating fuel. I may be simplifying and misinterpreting this. Not sure how the upcoming cessation of IEA gasoline shipments from Europe will afffect things… if the existing refineries _plus_ extra imports were required to keep US gasoline prices and supplies near normal, what happens when people start needing more heating fuel? ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/3 "2005-11-12T13:20:32Z")
the fraction used for refining diesel is also in demand in the winter for central heating oil, which keeps the price up. Gasoline usually drops in price once US motorists have finished the vacation season. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/4 "2005-11-12T16:49:29Z")
Am I mistaken in thinking that making diesel is a byproduct of making gasoline? There shouldn’t be a “choice” on the part of the refinery. Correct me if I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/5 "2005-11-12T16:57:15Z")
Here in Bogota, Colombia, the price of gas is more or less $2.50 per gallon. Diesel is more or less $1.50 per gallon. And yes, I too believe that diesel is a by-product of gasoline production. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/6 "2005-11-12T17:07:42Z")
In the UK diesel is generally more expensive than petrol (gasoline), but since diesel contains more energy than an equivalent volume of petrol, it still works out substantially cheaper per mile. In fact, given how good turbodiesels are nowadays, one could ask why americans insist on sticking to gas when diesel is so much more economical. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/7 "2005-11-12T17:09:58Z")
Environmental requirements dictate lower sulfur content of diesel fuel, this means more refining procedures resulting in higher wholesale prices, etc., etc. The idea that diesel is a 'byproduct" of gasoline is an archaic concept. The increased number of interstate trucks in the past generation has increased the demand for diesel. For the most part this can be attributed to the 'just in time" (JIT) delivery concept of retailers. JIT saves large corps. from building warehouse space into their retail facilities. Another culprit in the mix is our inefficient rail system. We need to draw political attention to the U.S. infrastructure, which would include correlation between trucking and rail transport, among many other neglected aspects of the domestic/industrial infrastructure. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/8 "2005-11-12T17:57:59Z")
> [@A.R. Cane](#): > > The idea that diesel is a 'byproduct" of gasoline is an archaic concept. See this link: [http://users.adelphia.net/~pellett/whydiesel.html](http://users.adelphia.net/~pellett/whydiesel.html) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/9 "2005-11-12T18:17:15Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > In fact, given how good turbodiesels are nowadays, one could ask why americans insist on sticking to gas when diesel is so much more economical. Because our cars won’t run on diesel :wally As silly and as trite as that may sound, that’s actually a big part of it. For most people in the US, switching entirely to diesel would involve either buying a new car or replacing substantial portions of the engine, neither of which is often a very economical option for many of us. And then there’s folks like me, who won’t do it because Ford doesn’t make a Diesel Mustang. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/10 "2005-11-13T00:18:50Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Because our cars won’t run on diesel :wally > > As silly and as trite as that may sound, that’s actually a big part of it. For most people in the US, switching entirely to diesel would involve either buying a new car or replacing substantial portions of the engine, neither of which is often a very economical option for many of us. > > And then there’s folks like me, who won’t do it because Ford doesn’t make a Diesel Mustang. Well, you’ve had decades to make the switch - get with the program already. Where’s that can-do attitude we hear so much about? Try one of [these](http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/pricesandspecifications_detail/0,4638,1156_2053__bs-NQ%253D%253D%2540bb-TEk%253D%2540bm-TkM5Mg%253D%253D,00.html) 😃 Maybe Dodge could help out with a diesel Viper - wasn’t it originally made with a cast-aluminium petrol-burning version of an old iron diesel truck engine? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-diesel-more-expensive-than-regular-gas-lately/330665/11 "2005-11-13T01:33:37Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Am I mistaken in thinking that making diesel is a byproduct of making gasoline? There shouldn’t be a “choice” on the part of the refinery. Correct me if I’m wrong. I THINK this is what happens: You heat the incoming crude oil to one temperature, and light hydrocarbons boil off to become gasoline. You heat the crude to a higher temperature, and heavier hydrocarbons boil off to become diesel fuel. What’s left becomes home heating fuel. In addition, you can break apart the heavier hydrocarbons (that would otherwise become diesel), so that they become gasoline. In addition, there are different things that need to be removed and added to the various fuels. My impression is that to change from one fuel to another involves a lot of reconfiguration of the refinery. So, no, gasoline and diesel-fuel production are mostly mutually-exclusive. :: a little later :: I looked on Google and found this: [http://science.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining.htm](http://science.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining.htm) Looks like the different fractions come off mostly simultaneously, but there still seems to be a lot of processing involved. I’d still say a lot of reconfiguration would be in order to switch outputs.