Diesel engines, also known as internal combustion engines or compression-ignition engines, have been around since 1893. Rudolf Diesel, a German man living in Paris, wrote an essay titled “Theory and Construction of a Rational Heat-engine to Replace the Steam Engine and Combustion Engines Known Today.” A few years later, Rudolf Diesel had built his first successful prototype.
Since then, the diesel engine has continuously been updated and improved. By the 1930s, diesel engines were being used in automobiles. In the 1970s, diesel engines became common in larger off- and on- road vehicles. By 1990, Diesel engines had taken over the truck world.