Gasoline or alcohol: Calculator shows best price per km – 05/19/2023 – Market

Ethanol or gasoline, which provides the lowest expense at the gas station? To help the driver make the best choice, the Sheet launches the fuel calculator, which shows the average consumption of around 700 flex-fuel cars tested over the last 20 years in partnership with the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia.

The consumer informs the prices charged at the chosen service station and the calculator shows whether it is more advantageous to fill up with ethanol or gasoline and the amount spent for each kilometer traveled on the road or in the city.

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How to use the fuel calculator

• Choose the make, model and year of the car. The calculator brings the list of models evaluated in that period
• Inform the prices of gasoline and ethanol at the chosen station
• The calculator will show which fuel is more worthwhile in the city and on the road, in addition to the cost per kilometer driven

If you don’t find your car among those tested: look for the model with the latest year closest to your vehicle, as it most likely has a similar engine and therefore comparable consumption figures. Another option is to use the tool below

Calculate based on your custom consumption data: on this tab, the driver can enter consumption data that he has already calculated, according to his daily use of the car. The averages recorded in the on-board computer or the “tank-to-tank” measurement can serve as a reference. It is also necessary to inform the prices of ethanol and gasoline at the chosen gas station.

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20 years of testing with flex cars

The launch coincides with the 20 years of flex-fuel cars. The data has been measured in the Folha-Mauá test since March 2003, when the first model in this category was evaluated: the Volkswagen Gol 1.6 Total Flex and there will be constant updates, with the insertion of new cars according to the conclusion of the tests.

How the tests are done

To measure the performance of the cars, the Mauá Institute of Technology uses the V-Box, equipment that uses a GPS signal. The stage that verifies consumption in the city is 27 km long. To simulate a road trip at 90 km/h, the test drivers drive for 31 km.

Both routes are in São Caetano do Sul (ABC), where the institute’s headquarters are located. Two measurements are made: one with ethanol, the other with gasoline.

In general, consumption is always higher with ethanol, but changes in the sector have reduced the advantage of alcohol compared to gasoline. “This fuel has a lower calorific value than gasoline, requiring a larger amount to generate the same energy”, says Raquel Mizoe, director of emissions and consumption of light vehicles at the AEA (Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering).

From an environmental point of view, a car fueled with alcohol is less harmful.

“A great advantage of ethanol is the emission of CO_two [dióxido de carbono] considering the entire cycle, which goes from fuel production to its use in the vehicle –usually called ‘well-to-wheel emissions’–, which is much lower than that of gasoline”, says Raquel.

“Another advantage is the reduction in sulfur oxide emissions, responsible for acid rain.”

The tool arrives at a time of change in Petrobras’ pricing policy, which also announced, last Tuesday (16), reductions in the prices of gasoline, diesel and cooking gas.