dent said:
think another problem is emissions...
Diesel emissions are lower than petrol engines. Those smoky lorries and buses that you see are just badly set up, or just old.
Check this link
www.disco2.com/tech/td5engine/
In fact, the Discovery 2 exceeds all emission regulations world wide, without a catalytic converter. If you read the link, they also claim to have enough "reserve" on the system to meet or exceed regulations for many more years.
Biodiesel is available in many countries, with even cleaner emissions and is a renewable energy source. Better than the 30,000,000 barrels of oil consumed every day on this poor planet.
Also, deisel engines do more miles-per-gallon than petrol.
PS - Poor Rudolph Diesel, the German inventor of the engine, died in poverty before seing his invention take off.
PPS - Henry Ford did NOT invent the motor car, this was Gottleib Daimler, a German, later involved in the founding of Mercedes