If you are confused between petrol and diesel variant cars and are unable to decide which one to buy, then you should focus on key deciding factors which are running and fuel costs. We are going to have a calculation done with a daily running of 30 kms in this article, based on which you can do personalised calculations later depending on daily running needs.
Fuel Consumption Per Day
Let’s say a diesel car offers a mileage of 20 km/l and a petrol car returns 15 km/l fuel efficiency.
— Diesel Car (20 km/l): 30 km/day ÷ 20 km/l = 1.5 litres/day
— Petrol Car (15 km/l): 30 km/day ÷ 15 km/l = 2 litres/day
Monthly Fuel Consumption (Assuming 30 Days)
— Diesel Car: 1.5 x 30 = 45 litres
— Petrol Car: 2 x 30 = 60 litres
Yearly Fuel Consumption
— Diesel Car: 45 x 12 = 540 litres
— Petrol Car: 60 x 12 = 720 litres
Fuel Cost Calculation
Let’s assume diesel costs Rs 90 per litre and petrol Rs 100 per litre (approximately).
Annual Fuel Cost
— Diesel Car: 540 x 90 = Rs 48,600
— Petrol Car: 720 x 100 = Rs 72,000
Annual Savings With Diesel Over Petrol Car: Rs 72,000 – Rs 48,600 = Rs 23,400
Breakeven Point
Generally, a mass-market diesel car costs approx. 1.5 or 1.6 lakh more than the petrol model. Considering the Rs 1.6 lakh extra cost for a diesel car and Rs 23,400 annual savings on fuel, the breakeven time will be: Rs 1,60,000 ÷ Rs 23,400 = 6.8 years.
Final Suggestion
If you plan to keep the car for more than 6.8 years, the diesel car will be more economical in the long run. If you intend to upgrade or change cars within 5-6 years, the petrol car makes more financial sense due to the lower initial cost. However, if your daily running needs exceed 30km, the suggestion is to do your calculation using the mentioned formulas and make the decision accordingly.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply