Internal combustion or electric car - which is more profitable? Fiat Tipo 1.6 diesel vs Nissan Leaf - what will come out ...

With the end of the year approaching, discounts on combustion vehicles are on the rise. Inspired by the downsizing of one of the manufacturers, we decided to take a closer look at the price duel between the internal combustion engine / diesel engine and the electric vehicle. Does it make economic sense to buy an electric vehicle? Will the money spent ever get back?

Let's start with the discounts that inspired us to write this article:

Discounts on Fiat Tipo (2017)

Let's start with the discounts that inspired us. According to the information provided by the dealer, the discounts on the Fiat Tipo in connection with the sale of the 2017 model are as follows:

• up to PLN 5 for a Fiat Tipo sedan (price from PLN 200),
• up to PLN 4 for the Fiat Tipo hatchback model (price from PLN 100),
• up to PLN 4 for the Fiat Tipo SW station wagon (price from PLN 100 53).

For our needs, we chose a hatchback to make it easier to compare to an all-electric car like the Nissan Leaf (2018), which is also a hatchback.

> BUSINESS IDEA in Poland: you buy an electric car, charge it for free, drive people – IS IT PAYING?

Internal combustion car: Fiat Tipo (2017) diesel hatchback, Pop version - equipment and price

We assumed that the Fiat Tipo should at least partially match the comfort of an electric car. That is, it should at least be equipped with air conditioning and an automatic transmission. A diesel engine will also come in handy, as it will provide us with torque comparable to an electric car - at least in a certain rev range.

We chose the Fiat Tipo 1.6 Multijet with 120 horsepower, diesel engine, automatic transmission, air conditioning and armrest in the Pop II package. The total amount we will pay for the car is 73 PLN. Subject to the discounts indicated above.

Here's the setup. As you can see, we have abandoned the silver paint:

Electric car: Nissan Leaf (2018) - equipment and price

We have not tuned the Nissan Leaf. We have chosen the only option available today, that is Nissan Leaf 2.0 aka 2.ZERO. Price? PLN 159.

We assumed that both car owners drive to work on weekdays - 15 kilometers a day one way. In addition, they visit families, sometimes go on trips, and go on vacation in the summer.

None of the cars will break downbut both require their owners to be regularly serviced. There are also other operating costs, such as the need to change the oil in an internal combustion engine.

We looked at three options:

Electric car vs internal combustion car – operating costs [option 1]

The first approach assumed moderate exploitation. The one in which the car owner substantially he doesn't need a car because he can get to work and his family by local transport. That is:

• 2 times 15 kilometers a day to and from work,
• an additional 400 kilometers per month for trips, family trips, vacations,
• additional 120 kilometers per month for other things (extracurricular activities, doctor, shopping, karate / English).

In addition, we also made the following assumptions:

• diesel price: PLN 4,7 / liter,
• fuel consumption Fiat Tipo 1.6 Multijet diesel hatchback automatic: 5,8 l / 100 km (such data appears on the Internet for Manual Transmission)
• Nissan Leaf energy consumption: 15 kWh / 100 km,
• every fourth Nissan Leaf is charged at home at a rate daily (fully).

The price did not include replacement of tires and washer fluid. We also did not take OC / OC + AC insurance into account, because our calculations show that electric vehicles are generally slightly cheaper to insure, but the differences are minor:

> How much does electric vehicle insurance cost? VW Golf 2.0 TDI vs. Nissan Leaf - OC and OC + AC [CHECK]

Does an electric car have a chance to win? Let's take a look at a comparison of the cost of ownership over the first five years of operation:

Due to the colossal difference in price between an internal combustion engine (diesel) and an electric car, an electric car only has a chance to outperform an internal combustion car after a good 15 years of operation. Unless the diesel starts to fail early, which is not so unlikely.

Electric vs Gasoline Car = 0: 1

Electric car vs internal combustion car – operating costs [option 2]

We know that the Nissan Leaf 2.ZERO for PLN 159 is a premium price, thanks to which the dealer and manufacturer make money on the most impatient customers. Therefore, in the second option, we make our assumptions realistic:

• Nissan Leaf (2018) – price PLN 129,
• Fiat Tipo 1.6 Multijet diesel fuel consumption = 6,0 liters (rounded off for automatic transmissions according to PSA calculations),
• we charge the electric car only at the night rate, 50% of the price = 0,30 PLN / kWh.

What is the cost schedule after five years of operation? Yes:

It's a little better, but out of the initial PLN 56 overpaid for an electric car, we are still under the good PLN line. We will not be able to cover this difference even if we try to sell both cars.

Electric vs Gasoline Car = 0: 2

The conclusion is clear: with 14 thousand kilometers annually, the purchase of an electric car is non-refundable. However, if we think about more than just money - for example, the health of our children and grandchildren or the care of Poland - the electric car will be an invaluable contribution:

> Why a Catholic chooses an electric car: Ezekiel, Muslims, the fifth commandment

Electric vehicle versus internal combustion vehicle for long distance travel [option 3]

We further modify our assumptions: we assume that we are driving not 15, but 35 kilometers, or we are doing 1 kilometers a month. This corresponds to a situation where we live at some distance from the city in which we work.

We still assume that none of the cars will break down, which is realistic for an electric car and very optimistic for an internal combustion car. The distances we have covered begin to generate additional costs for the replacement of brake pads, brake discs and timing at the very end of their operation - the schedule is built in stages:

However, even on very long journeys, we cannot cover the difference we paid for the electric car. Only government assistance or… stricter emission standards, which will lead to more failures of combustion vehicles, can help here. 🙂

Electric vs Gasoline Car = 0: 3

Operating cost of an electric vehicle versus an internal combustion engine [CONCLUSIONS]

After all the calculations, we draw the following conclusions:

• electric vehicles had to be cheaper by about 30-50 PLN in order for their purchase to make sense not only ideological, but also purely economic,
• for short trips (up to 2 kilometers per month), charging outside the home is of little help in the overall economic bill, since electricity is cheap even at home,
• the difference in price between an electric car and a car with an internal combustion engine, to the detriment of the electrician, is increased by leasing, which increases by a percentage of the base (the higher the price, the higher the percentage).

However, we decided that there was no need to wring our hands. We have checked in what situation the Nissan Leaf will be more profitable than the diesel Fiat Tipo 1.6 Multijet. And we already know: It's enough that we have 50 kilometers to work, that is, we drive a little more than 2,6 thousand kilometers a month. Then the cost of operating an internal combustion vehicle will exceed the cost of operating an electric vehicle in 4-4,5 years.

Electric vs Gasoline Car = 1: 3

With a mileage of more than 2,6 thousand kilometers per month, another aspect becomes important: for an internal combustion car, this is a very intensive operation, which increases the likelihood of failure. in the early years of use. This situation can add 5 PLN to the overall balance, which would be a disadvantage of a car with an internal combustion engine.

> New Zealand: Nissan Leaf - LEADER in reliability; regardless of age, it breaks less often than new cars!

ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING

This may interest you: