CHENNAI: A diesel vehicle means higher cost of acquisition but significantly lower fuel bills, right?
Well, not quite. Thanks to falling
petrol prices and rising diesel fuel costs in recent months, the petrol-diesel gap is now at its slimmest since last June. Which means, the
Rs 1-lakh premium (at the very least) that any diesel vehicle commands over its petrol variant now makes the former's running costs steeper than a petrol car. The math is clear:
Petrol cars, including running costs and cost of acquisition, are now cheaper to run than diesel vehicles.
First the figures. With the latest cut in petrol prices on Sunday, August 31, and regular increases in diesel prices by 50p, the petrol-diesel gap now spans a slim spectrum, ranging from Rs 9.15 to just over Rs 12. The gap between the two fuels in Delhi is Rs 9.54 per
litre. It's highest in Kolkata at Rs 12.33 per litre with Chennai and Mumbai at Rs 8.63 and
Rs 9.15 per litre, respectively.
On an average, a new vehicle gives a mileage of 14-15 km per litre. For 50 km a day — the average commute distance in most Indian
metros — the vehicle will therefore, consume nearly 4 litres of petrol. That works out toabout 120 litres of petrol a month.
As diesel prices rise, it’s now cheaper to run petrol cars - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
Well, not quite. Thanks to falling
petrol prices and rising diesel fuel costs in recent months, the petrol-diesel gap is now at its slimmest since last June. Which means, the
Rs 1-lakh premium (at the very least) that any diesel vehicle commands over its petrol variant now makes the former's running costs steeper than a petrol car. The math is clear:
Petrol cars, including running costs and cost of acquisition, are now cheaper to run than diesel vehicles.
First the figures. With the latest cut in petrol prices on Sunday, August 31, and regular increases in diesel prices by 50p, the petrol-diesel gap now spans a slim spectrum, ranging from Rs 9.15 to just over Rs 12. The gap between the two fuels in Delhi is Rs 9.54 per
litre. It's highest in Kolkata at Rs 12.33 per litre with Chennai and Mumbai at Rs 8.63 and
Rs 9.15 per litre, respectively.
On an average, a new vehicle gives a mileage of 14-15 km per litre. For 50 km a day — the average commute distance in most Indian
metros — the vehicle will therefore, consume nearly 4 litres of petrol. That works out toabout 120 litres of petrol a month.
As diesel prices rise, it’s now cheaper to run petrol cars - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site