Description
Automotive Gas Oil, or AGO, is fuel intended for use in road
vehicles (trucks,buses, vans and cars) powered by diesel engines.
The fuel is obtained in the mid-boiling range from the distillation
and processing of crude oil. Related fuels, such as Industrial Gas
Oils (IGOs), which are used for non-road applications including
off-road diesel engines, are obtained from the same fraction of the
crude oil barrel. While Automotive Gas Oil is the technical name
used by the oil industry, automotive diesel fuel, or just plain
diesel, are the more common and widespread names used by the
consumer. Middle Distillates is the generic oil industry name for
gasoils, including both AGO and IGO.
AGO is used in two main types of vehicle: heavy-duty vehicles, such
as trucks and buses light-duty vehicles, such as vans and passenger
cars In most countries, including the USA and the developing
countries, heavy-duty vehicles make up the main market for AGO.
There is a significant light-duty sector in Japan, but demand for
AGO from this sector is highest in Europe, where more than one
third comes from passenger cars and other light vehicles. Customer
requirements differ to some extent between the two types of fuel
usage.
Diesel engines are widely used in heavy-duty vehicles. Such
vehicles are frequently operated in fleets and are re-fuelled
centrally with fuel delivered direct from the supplier. In the
light-duty vehicle sector, recent advances in engine design now
also allow light-duty diesel engines to compete with gasoline
engines on performance grounds. Lightduty vehicles are generally
re-fuelled through retail outlets. Although the emphasis differs,
in both sectors the customers will be generally looking for fuel
that provides economy, power, reliability and environmental
acceptability.