In a barrel (42gal) of crude you need to divide it into separate parts. These parts are roughly:

Naphta and other condensates that are liquid. 2gal
Kerosene, where most is jet-fuel 4gal
Unleaded gasoline 20gal
Diesel fuel and heating/furnace oil 10gal
Engine oil .5gal
Gear oil .5gal
Grease .5gal
Tar/asphalt 1gal

Given these approximate fractions alone, I can see why refineries wish to sell more gasoline than diesel. what else would they do with it if everyone ran diesel engines?



On the other hand, wikipedia has a comparison of energy content of various fuels as they related to 1 gallon of unleaded gas.

For instance, you get the same energy from 0.88 gallons of Diesel as you do from 1 gallon of unleaded gas, so I would figure you'll get better mileage from a diesel just based on energy comparison alone.

It takes 1.39 gallons of E85 blend to get teh energy equivalent of 1 gallon of unleaded gas BTW - which is why some people note crappy MPG when using blended fuel.

And yes, the "Bigger is better" concept seems firmly ingrained in the American psyche despite practical experience to the contrary.

And do those European vehicles meet all the safety standards for US market? Or are we stuck along the same lines as PFDs and the CE vs. USCG requirements?