Diesel fuel, aka gas oil, seems to be going through a sort of evolution. Lately, there are a few different variations that you should be aware of when thinking about the type of vehicle to purchase or even how to fuel up the one you currently own. You may even simply be curious after having seen a sticker on a pump for truck diesel and wondered what that was. Electric cars are dominating the news and one day we may not even need to fuel up our cars. But, until that day happens we will be using diesel so it pays to know that types there are.

In this article, I will explain the different types to clear up the confusion.

1 – Red diesel

Yes, this fuel is actually red and it is not just a clever name for it. There is a red dye added to it to make sure that people know that it is not meant to be used for on the road applications.

What that means is that it can only be used for things like heavy machinery like construction equipment. Or, it can be used in farming applications like tractors or harvesters.

The reason that it is dyed red is that it is not taxed like regular fuel including diesel usually is. If a trucker were to use this type of diesel for fueling up his tractor trailer, then he would be fined and in a lot of trouble.

You probably don’t have to worry about filling up with the red diesel by accident as suppliers like Birmingham Fuel Supplier go directly to the customer to avoid somebody filling up at a station by accident.

2 – Biodiesel

With a big push towards renewables for fueling our cars, manufacturers are now making engines that can use biodiesel. This fuel is made from organic sources like vegetable oil or animal fats. Usually, it is made from recycling restaurant oils and refining it to be used in a diesel engine. This is a great way to keep dirty oils from ending up in the environment and also prevents the need to pump more oil to make diesel.

Some cars with diesel engines can also be retrofitted to use biodiesel from recycled restaurant oil. In fact, some people will even go so far as to collect the oil themselves and a 5 8 24 fuel filter to use in their car. Thus, they drive for free.

3 – Clean diesel

Technology has caught up with the times and now there is a type of diesel that burns clean. Diesel had a dirty name for a long time because of how dirty it is to burn. Now, there is a type called DME or dimethyl ether.

It is clean burning and non-toxic as well as being very efficient so less is used to make it even more sustainable. Since lots of countries are implementing air quality controls and measures, this type of diesel will likely be seen more as time goes on. It has low NOx emissions and no soot so driving in the city will still be an option for many drivers using this diesel.