"Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is diesel fuel that has had the sulfur content reduced from approximately 500 parts per million (ppm) sulfur to 15 ppm sulfur. This cleaner diesel fuel will be available nationwide in 2006 before new diesel vehicles are introduced to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2007 emissions standards.

There are some potential drawbacks to using ULSD fuel. These drawbacks include cost, availability, lubricity, and cold flow properties. At this time, the cost of ULSD is difficult to estimate due to the fact it is not available in Colorado. EPA estimates that when fully implemented the sulfur reduction requirement will increase the cost of producing and distributing diesel fuel by about five cents per gallon. Other sources indicate this cost per gallon will be higher. This increased cost is due to additional refining costs to remove the sulfur from the fuel. Another issue hindering the widespread use of ULSD at this time is the availability of the fuel. Currently (as of June, 2006) the fuel is available in limited parts of the country, primarily on the east coast. At this time, the fuel is not available in Colorado.

The process used to refine ULSD also results in a loss of lubricity, which could potentially result fuel system component wear. However, additives or blending ULSD with biodiesel increases the lubricity of ULSD. Puget Sound Clean Cities reports that they have not encountered any problems with ULSD when properly formulated with additives or biodiesel. Other potential issues with ULSD are the cold flow properties. In cold weather, the cloud point of ULSD is higher than conventional diesel. Therefore, ULSD may require added precautions, such as additives or heated storage tanks, when the ambient temperature gets very low."

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1996 TD 2 Door Humvee