I don't get the math about diesel. American refineries produce 12 gallons of diesel and 19 gallons of gasoline on average[1] from a barrel of oil(42 gallons). I seem to remember that figure being lower and it looks like googles answer was 10 gallons at one point using the same site reference. I think that there was a push to get most cars off of gasoline and on to diesel before the VW scandal, and that diesel was going to save the world. I didn't see how we were going to make that work when there is 50-80% less of the stuff per barrel of oil. I think in the real world the MPG gains are 25-35%[2]

I don't know that EVs are the savior they're pitched as, unless we can make battery tech and power generation cleaner. It looks like there is progress in that arena, so hopefully that continues. I think that we have demonstrably cleaned up gasoline cars while also increasing power output and MPG, and progress in that arena should continue as well. I think that diesel for passenger cars is a dead end, and it should be left to big rigs and heavy duty vehicles.

[1] http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=327&t=9 [2]https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/di_diesels.shtml