Yep, diesel was always cheaper than gasoline, at least until 2004, when the price of diesel became more expensive than gas and stayed that way.
www.eia.gov
Why are diesel fuel prices higher than gasoline prices?
On-highway diesel fuel prices have been higher than regular-grade gasoline prices, on a dollar-per-gallon basis, almost continuously since September 2004. This trend is a break from the previous historical pattern of diesel fuel prices usually being lower than gasoline prices except in cold winters when demand for heating oil pushed diesel fuel prices higher. There are three main reasons why diesel fuel prices have been higher than regular gasoline prices in recent years:
- Demand for diesel fuel and other distillate fuel oils has been relatively high, especially in Europe, China, India, and the United States.
- The transition to less polluting, lower-sulfur diesel fuels in the United States affected diesel fuel production and distribution costs.
- The federal excise tax for on-highway diesel fuel of 24.3 cents per gallon is 6 cents per gallon higher than the federal excise tax on gasoline.
Guess who was president in 2004? That's right, Jr. was.