Pros and Cons of Diesel Cars

Pros and Cons of Diesel Cars

Diesel Cars have been providing us with the commodity of helping us reach our destination quickly for decades now. It is however facing competition around the world due to its negative impact on the environment and with new forms of renewable fuel.

With developments, highly efficient cars are being made that run on gasoline. Hybrid cars and electrical cars have also been introduced into the frame but are still in its incipient years and a lot more innovation and research is needed in order to make them more cheap and durable in the long run of consumers. Until then, diesel cars are still highly used around the world even with other options being available on the market.

Even now, 50% of the cards sold in Europe run on diesel. Various research and development has been done in diesel engines making them more eco-friendly and efficient, keeping it still in the radar of consumers.

Here we will look at some of the pros and cons of diesel cars. I’ll put them into a table first and then we’ll discuss them one by one.

Pros of Diesel CarsCons of Diesel Cars
Excellent MileageExpensive
No Tune-up requiredLow Energy Content of Diesel Fuel
More Durable than Gasoline EnginesDiesel Fuel more Expensive
Higher TorqueLags in Acceleration
Higher StrengthHigh Maintenance
Research and Development
Reduced Noise Pollution in New Models

Advantages of Diesel Cars

Excellent Mileage

Diesel cars provide excellent mileage. An average consumer can typically drive a diesel powered car with a 25-30% better fuel economy than gasoline fuels. They are much more economical than traditional gasoline-electric hybrids, depending on existing models and technological advancements made in the automobile industry.

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No Tune-up required

They never require any type of ignition tune-up as they have no spark plugs or distributors. Diesel engines rely on air compression to reach ignition temperatures.

More Durable

Diesel engines are more rugged and durable in nature, designed with the concept of withstanding vigorous compression. This makes them go much longer than gas powered vehicles. Vehicles can run for 900,000 miles on their original company-fitted engines. This shows how good the longevity of diesel cars is.

Higher Torque

A diesel engine provides more torque to driveshaft than gasoline engines. This is due to the way diesel engines burn their fuel. This makes diesel cars much faster than their rivals, helping reach passengers to reach their destination promptly.

Higher Strength

Diesel powered trucks have more strength and power and can outrun other vehicles while still delivering excellent fuel economy.

Research and Development

Diesel cars have improved over the years, making them burn fuel more cleanly and being environmentally viable compared to previous generation of diesel cars.

Reduced Noise Pollution than Conventional models

They are more silent in nature now than they used to be back in the day when they were first conceived. Noise pollution used to be a major concern for a lot of people who wanted to stick to diesel cars. With urbanization of towns people had to live closer and noisy cars were always an issue between neighbors.

However, many environmentalists still believe that level of noise pollution from diesel engines is too high. Let’s look at some of the other disadvantages of having a diesel car.

Disadvantages of Owning a Diesel car

Expensive

Diesel fuels used to be very cheap than gasoline, however they are now more costly than regular gasoline.

Lower Energy Content

Diesel fuel possesses less usable energy than gasoline. This makes diesel less energy efficient with lower energy density than currently available fuels. This makes diesel deliver less energy per liter of fuel burnt. Diesel has a calorific value of 45.5 Mj/Kg whereas gasoline or petrol has energy content of 46.4 Mj/kg.

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Diesel Fuel expensive at consumer-end

Diesel fuel is also used commonly in trucks, home, generators and in heating of oil; making it have a wide number of uses. This further increases demand, making diesel fuel more costly for consumers and businesses. This makes people think twice about whether or not to purchase a diesel car.

Lags in Acceleration

Diesel fuel is considered to be more efficient as it converts heat into energy rather than sending the heat out through the tailpipe as gas powered vehicles do. However, it doesn’t give the flashy-high speed performance. Diesel Engines surely take their time in acceleration.

When compared to a gasoline engine a diesel engine is slower and enduring, where as a gasoline engine is high-strung, fiery and fast.

High Maintenance

Diesel cars require high amount of maintenance in order to keep it running at its desired efficiency. It constantly requires change of oil, air, and fuel filters at shorter mileages.

Diesel cars still have water separators that need to be drained manually on a regular basis.

If proper maintenance is not carried out, the injection system of the diesel car may break down and you may end up paying lard sums of money to a mechanic to fix it. This maintenance cost is higher, especially when compared to gasoline driven cars.

High concentration of particulate carbon emitted from Diesel Engines

Although diesel engines are known to be long-lasting and have lower carbon dioxide emissions; they produce up to 400 times higher amount of particle-like black carbon and soot when compared with similar gasoline-powered cars.

You can actually see these particles being released from diesel engine exhausts in the form of very dark black smoke.

Higher emissions as Engine parts get old

As the diesel car gets old and the engine become weak and tainted, higher carbon emissions are emitted from these cars. You may end up having to sell this car if you want to reduce the pollution even though a diesel car provides better longevity.

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Various governments have tried to ban the use of diesel cars due to its negative impact on the environment. So if you’re thinking of buying one, check out how your country is dealing with such issues.

Should you buy a Diesel Car?

With new and unique variants of cars being available in the market, the question is that should you buy a diesel car, or choose an alternative? Well this entirely depends upon you.

If you are a driver who wants a better fuel efficiency then you should go ahead and choose an electric or hybrid vehicle as they will give you just that but these cars end up being more costly in the long run. A diesel car should be purchased by someone who can afford the fuel costs of diesel which are rising day by day in various countries. If you can bear the cost you will ultimately even achieve better fuel efficiency.

If you are commonly travelling across various states and cities, using highways they these cars are a better option as they provide better mileage without having to constantly refuel on gas stations. Diesel cars are more economical, provided that you keep them well maintained otherwise they may cost you a lot in terms of repairs.

Diesel cars still have better resale value, so if you are someone who constantly changes cars they might give you a return on your investment.

If you are an environmental fanatic like me, this car isn’t the choice for you due to the high amount of carbon emissions diesel cars are notoriously known for. In that case you should stay away from diesel cars and choose other alternatives available. At the end of the day it all depends on the consumers, and their expectations and demands when it comes to buying a diesel powered car or not. Being that as it may, you should read up on Biodiesel as an alternative fuel.

With new forms of biofuels showing up in markets, it won’t be long before diesel engines become as environment-friendly as hybrid or electric vehicles for that matter.

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