Gasoline, diesel or LPG
What engine should the purchased car have? What fuel is the most profitable today and what will be next year? These are the dilemmas faced by car buyers.
What engine should the purchased car have? What fuel is the most profitable today and what will be next year? These are the dilemmas faced by car buyers.
The situation on the fuel market literally changes from month to month. Prices 
they depend not only on current demand, but also on the situation in world finances, armed conflicts and political statements of important leaders. No one can accurately predict when diesel will become much cheaper than gasoline again, or if it will happen again. It is difficult to predict the development of the situation in the gas sector. Today, LPG is attractive to wallets, but we may soon witness a serious increase in excise tax, and with it an increase in retail price. So how do you choose a car today so that it is operated as economically as possible? What type of engine to choose, what fuel to use? First of all, it is necessary to make a calculation based on current prices. But it is also worth following all the announcements and taking into account the statements of analysts.
Average fuel prices in the 50th week of 2011 were PLN 5,46 per liter of 95 octane unleaded petrol, PLN 5,60 for diesel and PLN 2,84 for autogas. At first glance, you can see how unprofitable it is to buy a diesel car at the moment. Diesel is more expensive than gasoline, which is difficult to compensate for by the lower fuel consumption of a turbodiesel. Modern cars of this type are no longer as economical as they used to be. They have good dynamics and work in much higher rotation ranges. In addition, the turbodiesel costs a lot more than the petrol version, giving petrol drivers a lot of head start. The price of LPG looks amazing, but in some ways it's a little deceiving. To supply the car with autogas, it is necessary to install a special installation. And it costs money. There is also the problem of higher combustion of LPG than gasoline in the same engine using simple and cheap installations. To achieve results close to the results of refueling with gasoline, it is necessary to invest in more expensive units. Here's how it all looks in detail.
Assume that we will use the popular 1.6 hp Opel Astra 115 petrol engine to compare running costs. Enjoy for PLN 70 and the same turbodiesel car with very similar performance 500 CDTi 1.7 hp. (also the Enjoy version) for PLN 125. . The petrol version with an average fuel consumption of 82 l/900 km requires petrol every 6,4 km for PLN 100. A driver who drives a small one drives about 100 km a year, for which he will pay PLN 34,94 15. A driver who travels a lot will drive about 000 5241 km per year, so he will have to buy fuel for PLN 60 000. After adding the purchase price of the car and the cost of fuel for a distance of 20 964 km, the fare for 15 km is PLN 000/km. With an annual mileage of 1 5,05 km, this figure is PLN 60.
After driving 100 km on a turbodiesel that burns an average of 4,6 l/100 km, you have to pay PLN 25,76 for fuel. After a run of 15 km, this amount increases to PLN 000, and after a run of 3864 km to PLN 60. Before that, it looks much better than in a gas tank, but the price of the car is much higher. The cost index for 000 km, calculated as in the case of the petrol version, is PLN 15/km for a mileage of 456 km, while for a mileage of 1 km it is much lower, i.e. PLN 5,78/km. But still more than the petrol version. So how many kilometers do you need to drive to buy a turbodiesel was profitable? It's not hard to count. For every 15 km driven, the owner of the diesel version receives PLN 000 in fuel costs. The price difference is PLN 60. Thus, a more expensive turbodiesel will pay off already after 000 km of run. For a driver who does not drive well, this means 1,64-1000 years of operation, for a driver who travels a lot - over 91,80 years. In practice, however, this period will necessarily be extended, since the cost of maintaining a turbodiesel is usually higher, as are the costs of repairs. However, it is difficult to list clearly. But when it comes to fuel, the numbers are relentless.
So, let's check how much it costs to drive an Opel Astra 1.6 after installing the LPG system. This car model has a very modern Twinport engine that should not use the cheapest first and second generation units. A good solution would be autogas injection, that is, installation for at least PLN 3000. HBO consumption will not be the same as that of gasoline, but higher, at the level of 8 l / 100 km. Thus, the fare for 100 km will be PLN 22,72, 15 km - PLN 000 3408 and 60 000 km - PLN 13 632. The fare for 1 km on an Astra 1.6 running on liquefied gas per 15 000 km will be PLN 5,12/km, i.e. more than a fuel truck, but much less than a turbodiesel, and PLN 1,45/km on a mileage of 60 000 km, and therefore less than both competitors. It is also worth calculating the mileage, which absorbs the cost of installing HBO. In the case of the Astra 1.6 and the LPG kit for PLN 3000, the mileage will be less than 25 km. So it seems that the installation of HBO pays off even for those who drive relatively little. Even a driver running only 000 15 km per year is able to compensate for this expense already in the second year of operation. For people who travel a lot, installing HBO is the perfect solution.
Excises from drivers
The nearest forecasts do not foretell a decrease in prices for diesel fuel, but there are no signs of a rise in the price of this fuel either. The situation with HBO is completely different. The European Union creates completely new excise price lists for energy products, taking into account carbon dioxide emissions. The idea behind this is to promote biofuels and reduce the consumption of fuels that contribute to the greenhouse effect. According to the recommendations of Brussels, the excise tax on liquefied gas should increase by 400%, but no later than 2013. If this happens, the price of a liter of autogas may exceed PLN 4, which will significantly reduce the profitability of using this fuel for driving. The Polish government is skeptical about this idea and since the spring of this year, when the information about the increase in the EU interest rate on LPG first appeared, it has not decided to take any decisions on this matter. However, if it is forced to make unfavorable decisions, higher autogas prices next year will become a reality.
Financial nuances
The calculation of fuel costs to demonstrate the profitability of using cars running on different types of fuel can only be provisional. For new cars, it is different from used. Cheaper, older generation gas-fired units, as well as differences in fuel consumption, may play a role. It should also be noted that in the case of some cars, manufacturers do not recommend the installation of a gas installation and may void the warranty if it is installed. In the case of such models, talking about HBO does not make sense at all. There is also the issue of service costs, which cannot be clearly estimated due to differences in prices for services and parts. In this regard, the worst situation is with turbodiesels, which only confirms the low profitability of their purchase.
According to the expert
Jerzy Pomianowski, Automotive Institute
The profitability of LPG in the current realities is beyond doubt. Gas is much cheaper than gasoline and diesel, which makes it possible to quickly recoup the cost of an additional installation that feeds the engine with autogas. If we assemble such a rig today and drive a lot, we can easily depreciate it until next year. And then, even if autogas rises in price to 4 zł per liter, we will still drive cheaper than gasoline. Turbodiesels that are unprofitable should not be written off. In some cars, especially large ones or 4x4s, diesel engines perform well. In such cases, a comparison with gasoline versions in terms of fuel consumption would look very different than that of the popular subcompact. A turbodiesel wouldn't give a petrol tanker a chance.
Calculation for December 20.12.2011, XNUMX, XNUMX.
Calculation of the cost of gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas
| Vehicle price (PLN) | Fuel cost per 100 km (PLN) | Fuel cost 15 km (PLN) | Fuel cost 60 km (PLN) | Cost of 1 km (car price + fuel) 15 km each (PLN/km) | Cost of 1 km (car price + fuel) 60 km each (PLN/km) | |
| Opel Astra 1.6 (115 km) Enjoy | 70 500 | 34,94 | 5241 | 20 964 | 5,05 | 1,52 |
| Opel Astra 1.7 CDTi (125km) | 82 900 | 25,76 | 3864 | 15 456 | 5,78 | 1,64 |
| Opel Astra 1.6 (115 hp) + HBO | 73 500 | 22,72 | 3408 | 13 632 | 5,12 | 1,45 |
Mileage calculation that guarantees reimbursement for the purchase of a car
| Vehicle price (PLN) | Price difference (PLN) | Fuel cost per 100 km (PLN) | Fuel cost per 1000 km (PLN) | Fuel price difference after 1000 km (PLN) | Mileage that guarantees the return of the difference in the price of the car (km) | |
| Opel Astra 1.6 (115 km) Wnjoy | 70 500 | - | 34,94 | 349,5 | - | - |
| Opel Astra 1.6 (115 hp) + HBO | 73 500 | + 3000 | 22,72 | 227,2 | - 122,2 | 24 549 |
| Opel Astra 1.7 CDTi (125km) | 82 900 | + 12 400 | 25,76 | 257,6 | - 91,8. | 135 076 |
