The additional cost of the Blue Something additive.
The comparative scarcity of diesel mechanics in metro areas.
The additional difficulty of below freezing starts,
And finally, diesel prices today of about $6.60 / gallon vs $4.00 for regular, which is 55% more than the cost of regular gas.
Frankly, unless you have the need for serious hauling, I can’t imagine why anyone would even consider a diesel for the road today? (Of course that ignores the impossibility that “someone” would knowingly use Agricultural or Home Heating diesel in a road vehicle to avoid the road tax.)
In DC it’s at the Buc-ee’s located between the White House and the Mall and their Manhattan location is right next to Wall Street.
More seriously, practically all the Truck Stops are located outside the metro areas and the trucks servicing the Ports are typically serviced at their own terminals or at stations located at warehousing areas, located in rural areas next to the interstates and well outside the metro areas.
The reality is that it’s hard enough finding any gas station downtown, except for a few survivors next to Interstate exits and most suburban stations never found it worth their while to install diesel tanks. OTOH if were comparing diesel to electric passenger vehicles (none of which I would own), in the suburbs, I can find multiple rapid charging locations at Parks and Retail locations within a couple of miles from my home.
The number of charging stations continues to grow in my area. If I had an EV, when I am shopping at my local Costco I would have a choice of about a dozen rapid chargers at the adjacent Target store, and ~10 Tesla chargers at the very nearby Panera.
Recently, at a small strip mall in another town, I saw a bunch of Mercedes-Benz branded chargers. I hadn’t previously known that these even existed, so I checked and… Mercedes-Benz EV Charging Stations | Mercedes-Benz USA
Gas stations in general are not in large supply in Large cities. And most of the gas stations I’ve seen in cities like Boston and NYC also carry Diesel. It’s NOT just the big-rigs that need diesel. Many Box trucks use Diesel also.
Even in less-urban areas, some gas stations started to close a few years ago. Whether this is due to the greater fuel economy of newer vehicles, or to EVs & PHEVs, or to both, there are several former gas stations in my area that are now empty lots.
I do a lot of my shopping in Salem NH. That down with a population of about 30,000 has ADDED at least 4 new gas stations in the past 5 years. I have no idea why.
Using the lack of fuel stations in areas of large cities or old crowded places like Washington DC is not a valid reason for small diesel vehicles to be made anymore. Fuel stations now are expected to be one stop for fuel, snacks and hot meals so more space is needed. Here near Tulsa, OK there are many places that meet those needs. Also just filling a diesel vehicle can be messy to your hands which annoys people.
Newer stations around here are WaWa or Sheetz, and they always have a convenience store attached. Closer to home, a Mobil was remodeled to include a 7-Eleven and two Shell stations were remodeled to include Dash-In convenience stores.
You might not be familiar with Dash-In. Most are in Central MD, several are near Wilmington, DE, four near Richmond, VA and one each in Southern DE and Central NC. I’ve bought gas there but not used the store.
I think that like grocery stores, there is such a low profit margin that adding food and convenience items was a matter of survival.
When i bought my olds diesel in 1981, a booklet was included with a listing of stations selling diesel. Diesel was cheaper and id get 27 mpg with a large car. Made sense for 3000 mikes a month. But then the advantage disappeared and my 86 buick gasser got nearly the same with cheaper gas. Interest rates also went from 18% to 7. There is little advantage anymore for diesel cars.
Maybe if you didnt own one you have a different view but i drove half a million miles in one.
Just to be clear I’m not advocating and type of vehicle but simply trying to explain the economics behind the consumer demand and the manufacturers’ willingness to make the investment to supply the demand.
Some of the Old Farts like me will remember the initial EV offerings from the late 1990’s - early 2000’s which failed because of their limited range (90 mile) AND the lack of charging stations. Later EV’s improved their range but the next generation still suffered through “EV Anxiety” caused by the lack of Recharging Stations. And then for the niche market, does anyone else remember the propane fueled Morgans?
My point is NOT that diesels shouldn’t be made, they’re perfect for a variety of applications, but for passenger vehicles Convenience is a significant factor in consumer acceptance. i.e. How easy is it to refuel and get regular maintenance/repairs?
Given the choice of a traditional gas powered vehicle or a hybrid or even a straight EV vs,a diesel, the vast majority of passenger car consumers will opt for the lower initial price and convenience. And with the current price of diesel $2 a gallon higher than Regular, it’s hard to imagine that any passenger car buyer would prefer a diesel over the alternatives.
Some people dont like the market working. Like electrics, there is not just one reason for consumers to choose otherwise. In 81diesels were hot if you wanted a large car. I paid $1000 for the privilege and spent 15 years trying to get my money back. High repair. Cost, 40% annual depreciation; etc etc. fuel was not an issue. Better. Options was.
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