---
title: "Diesel Prices Hit a New Record High: $5.16 a Gallon"
date: "2022-04-29"
modified: "2022-04-29"
authors:
  - name: "Peter Holderith"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/peter-holderith"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/diesel-prices-hit-a-new-record-high-5-16-a-gallon"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "gas prices"
---

# Diesel Prices Hit a New Record High: $5.16 a Gallon

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/29/BMW-Jump-Recovered.jpg>)
*Via AP Images*

Gasoline may be what powers [most vehicles in the United States](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44835/with-higher-gas-prices-do-you-regret-having-a-truck-or-suv>), but diesel is what fuels freight and logistics. You can see why it's big news, then, that prices are higher than they've ever been. According to *[Gas Buddy](<https://www.gasbuddy.com/newsroom/pressrelease/1110>),* diesel has reached a nationwide average of $5.16 per gallon. That's just a penny higher than the previous record from March, and prices [could still go up.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44662/the-gas-price-spike-and-chip-shortage-could-mean-a-perfect-storm-for-car-buyers>)

That's not the whole story, either. Not only is the price of diesel higher than it's ever been, but the difference between the price of the fuel and [regular unleaded gasoline](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44643/us-gas-prices-hit-a-new-record-high-4-17-a-gallon>) is also larger than ever. On average, diesel costs a whole dollar more per gallon right now.

Needless to say, this isn't good for anybody, even people who don't drive a car or truck [with a diesel engine](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/41890/2021-chevy-tahoe-duramax-diesel-review-the-perfect-engine-for-gms-full-size-suvs>). Diesel fuel is the lifeblood of global logistics, and a rise in the price of diesel translates into a cost increase for pretty much everything.

https://twitter.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/1520035177279463426

California unsurprisingly leads the way with a statewide average of $6.39 per gallon. Other states could soon surpass the $6 per gallon threshold as well, with Hawaii at $5.74 and Pennsylvania at $5.68, respectively. Georgia currently has the lowest statewide average diesel price of $4.83.

These rising prices, as *Gas Buddy* notes, are caused by a variety of factors we're all pretty used to hearing about by now: the ongoing pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and also some pre-pandemic losses in refining infrastructure. That includes the destruction of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in 2019 as a result of [a truly massive fire and explosion](<https://youtu.be/n2kCwNKEFBY>).

All of these factors reportedly add up to a half-million-barrel shortfall in refining capacity with no clear timeline as to when things will return to normal. This could be a sharp peak that will decline quickly, but it might also be a plateau that is just as enjoyable as the [still-high cost](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44997/these-are-the-cars-youll-pay-the-biggest-dealer-markups-on-right-now>) of pretty much everything else.

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: peter@thedrive.com*

## Author
Peter Holderith is a former staff writer for The Drive. He enjoys covering the regular news cycle, writing reviews, and hunting down long features on obscure pieces of automotive history.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-h-5ba447192/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/_baldtires>)