First off I have to tell you the reader I am a Diesel fan, and have often wondered why diesel is not popular in the United States. Back in the late eighties early nineties my family owned them. They were naturally aspirated and lacking in power until Cummins introduced the small turbocharged engine for Dodge.

Ever since the Cummins engine was put into a light duty truck the auto industry has been competing. Ford partnered with Navistar, and Chevy with Isuzu. Diesel engines have come a long way since the smoky tail pipes from the eighties. But what is diesel exactly and where does it come from.

I have often wondered what diesel was, so I did some research and here are the results. Diesel is an extract of crude oil and also has heavier hydrocarbons than gas. It is thicker and heavier giving it a higher boiling point. Diesel is constructed of 16 carbons where gas is constructed of 8. One gallon of diesel can produce 703 horsepower for 1 minute a gallon of gas just 600 horsepower. Diesel also sustains power over of a much wider rpm range than gas. Today there are three popular American made diesels for consumers, Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax, all in small trucks. Over all it looks as if diesel is more efficient than gas, so why are the majority of American automobiles equipped with gas powered engines?

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