Unleaded, Diesel, and Ethanol Fuel | What's The Difference?
Unleaded, Diesel, and Ethanol Fuel | What's The Difference?
Between ethanol, diesel, and unleaded fuel, conscientious drivers have a lot of options when it comes to hitting the road. The fuel option you choose ultimately depends on the type of vehicle you drive and your own preferences, but if you’re in the market for a new car, you may be wondering what the differences are.
Ethanol
Out of these three fuel choices, ethanol is by far the best environmental choice. Vehicles that use ethanol produce fewer emissions compared to those that run on diesel or regular gasoline. Plus, ethanol is a renewable energy source made from corn. There’s simply no limit to the amount of ethanol we can produce because corn crops are resupplied each year.
Ethanol has been such a boon to the fuel industry that many gas companies are combining it with regular gasoline. In order to utilize this ethanol/gasoline mixture, however, your car needs to have the appropriate flexible-fuel engine.
With this in mind, ethanol’s prices do fluctuate, so sometimes it’s more expensive than gasoline. Other times, ethanol prices drop below that of gas and diesel, making it a good alternative if you’re concerned about the bottom line. Another downside to ethanol is that it is less efficient, so you’ll be facing more pump fill-ups than you would with gasoline or diesel.
Diesel
Diesel is similar to regular gasoline in that it is created by distilling crude oil, but there are some significant differences. In order to buy diesel, you need a vehicle designed to run on it. Diesel-powered cars and trucks get about 30 percent better mileage than those powered by unleaded gasoline. If you think that’s an environmental advantage, however, there are other things to consider.
Diesel vehicles produce more emissions than just about any other vehicle on the road. Although their greenhouse gas production is higher than those powered by regular gas, diesel engines are more efficient, so they tend to produce about 10 to 20 percent less pollutants. That’s a decent trade-off.
Diesel engines also give your vehicle more power. They provide your car with enhanced torque, which contributes to better acceleration, and you’ll generally need less top-offs at the pump to help offset the higher cost over gas.
Unleaded Gasoline
Also known simply as gas or petrol, unleaded gasoline is the most commonly used fuel in the world. As you probably already know, prices for unleaded fuel fluctuate widely, but it’s generally cheaper than ethanol or diesel. Most drivers tend to prefer this immediate savings at purchase.
That savings starts to diminish, however, if you’re only buying premium at the pump. Premium gasoline is great for prolonging your engine’s life, but most vehicles don’t require the higher octane grade and do just fine with regular unleaded.
When shopping for your next car, it’s important to keep these choices in mind. Unlike ethanol and other renewable fuel alternatives, there is a limit to the amount of gasoline and diesel we can produce, so if you’re taking environmentally-friendly measures, it’s worth checking into these alternatives or buying a more fuel efficient gas-powered vehicle.