Diesel can be stored for a very long time without any problem and it is easier to produce. Also diesel engines last longer, usually require less maintence and have lots of torque. Petrol truck example: Volvo C303

Originally Posted by Stelios

Diesel can be stored for a very long time without any problem and it is easier to produce. Also diesel engines last longer, usually require less maintence and have lots of torque. Petrol truck example: Volvo C303

Europeans seem to prefer petrol but a large proportion of the rest of the world does use diesel.
From memory and this may be incorrect but I think the last new petrol engine entered service with the US military in the 1980s.

But, is there any good reason to use petrol engines?

Originally Posted by Stelios

But, is there any good reason to use petrol engines?

I would guess a mix of tradition and logistics would be the probable answer, until WW2 petrol was the most common option as supply chains, transport and storage were geared toward that and it is never easy to do large scale changes once there is a functioning system in place.

During my time in the military both RAF and TA, most vehicles were petrol powered, only the bigger and heavier trucks were diesel as well as aircraft refuellers.

Then began the move to diesels the Bedford MK 4x4 and 2.5 diesel Landrovers, I believe there was also a diesel motor bike in the pipe line for convoy control and dispatch riders.

Personally I am a huge fan of diesels for a number of reasons, they tend to run cooler then a petrol engine, typically, a diesel is 20 to 30 per cent more efficient than an equivalent petrol engine. ... Diesel engines emit more noxious gases and CO2 per litre of fuel used than petrol-powered cars. However, because diesels use less fuel, they can emit less CO2 over time as well as being more reliable.

I would say the majority of military vehicles are now diesel powered. especially when they are designed to withstand IED's and provide with some shell fragment/projectile protection.

There is another advantage to use diesel instead of gas/petrol. If a vehicle is hit by a projectile, gas/petrol tends to burn easier than diesel

A lot of diesel vehicles are starting to be phased out in favour of more economic petrol, hybrid and electric varients.

Originally Posted by The Highway Man

A lot of diesel vehicles are starting to be phased out in favour of more economic petrol, hybrid and electric varients.

Mercedes Benz manufacture a diesel Hybrid on the C and E class

Originally Posted by I3BrigPvSk

I would say the majority of military vehicles are now diesel powered. especially when they are designed to withstand IED's and provide with some shell fragment/projectile protection.

There is another advantage to use diesel instead of gas/petrol. If a vehicle is hit by a projectile, gas/petrol tends to burn easier than diesel

The Advent of self sealing fuel tanks and inert foam filled tanks have reduced the instances of gas/petrol combustion significantly.

Independent tests show Mercedes C220d emits 0mg/km of nitrogen oxide on the road, while BMW 520d emits just 1mg/km; legal limit is 168mg/km
The latest diesel models from Mercedes, Vauxhall and BMW emit almost no nitrogen oxides, or NOx, even in the toughest real-world on-road tests, according to independent research.

The German automobile club (ADAC) conducted on-road RDE (real driving emissions) tests of a number of petrol and diesel models to assess their cleanliness, and found many models dramatically undercut the 168mg/km currently allowed under Euro 6d Temp rules.

The diesel Mercedes C-Class C220d actually emitted no NOx whatsoever during the on-road tests, while the BMW 5 Series 520d emitted just 1mg per kilometre. An Opel (Vauxhall) Astra with a 1.6-litre diesel engine also impressed, emitting just 1mg/km of NOx, while the Citroen Berlingo BlueHDI 130 emitted just 7mg/km. In some cases, the diesel cars tested emitted less NOx than equivalent petrol models.

These the findings echo work showcased by Bosch in early 2018 that revealed on-road NOx levels could be cut to as little as 13mg/km. NOx emissions have been at the heart of the debate around diesel, with research linking them to everything from asthma and pulmonary conditions, to heart disease and dementia.

Mercedes told Auto Express the C-Class's result was partly due to "exhaust after-treatment close to the engine and...multiple exhaust gas recirculation" on the company's OM 654 diesel engine. Mercedes added: "Our goal for 2020 is to get to average NOx emissions of around 30 milligrams per kilometer in RDE drives of Level 2."

The findings from the ADAC, who are the equivalent of the British AA, will be welcomed by vehicle manufacturers, who have reportedly been facing battles to get their cars to comply with the on-road RDE element of the WLTP (worldwide harmonized light vehicles test procedure) tests. The results also come against a backdrop of legal wrangling related to the legality of RDE limits.

On road RDE NOx limits are set at 80mg/km (milligrams per kilometre) for diesel cars, and 60mg/km for petrols. In order to allow manufacturers time to get their vehicles compliant with the tests, and allow for inaccuracies in the PEMS (portable emissions measurement systems) used during the on-road RDE tests, ‘conformity factors’ – which allow cars to emit more than those limits – were set.