Major drawback of Diesel engines ever since Rudolf Diesel built the first in Germany 42 years ago has been their heftiness. Although the oil a Diesel burns is cheaper than gasoline and its principle of igniting fuel by heat developed through compression is more efficient than using a spark, the strength required to withstand high internal pressures has made Diesels expensive as well as heavy. Engineers have long tried to make fuel savings offset weight, size and cost, but noticeable success was achieved only in Germany, where Diesels light enough to power the...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
