Petrol vs CNG vs EV: While buying a new car, people often get confused between mileage, on-road price and performance. The initial price of a petrol car is low, but due to the increasingly expensive fuel, its running cost becomes heavy on the pocket. Whereas CNG variants offer economical running costs, but come with concerns about boot space and long queues at fuel stations.
On the other hand, electric vehicles (EV) come with zero emissions and very cheap running costs. However, they have the highest initial purchase price. In such a situation, it is not right to take a decision just by looking at the showroom price of the car. It is important for you to understand the total ownership costs (purchase price, fuel/electricity charges and maintenance) for at least 5 years so that you can take the right decision as per your needs and budget. Let us know what will be the better option between Petrol vs CNG vs EV in 5 years?
5 year maths
There are many such cars in the Indian market, which are available in all three options: Petrol, CNG and EV. In such a situation, we take Tata Nexon as an example. Nexon is a model which is available in three options: Petrol, i-CNG (turbocharged) and Electric (EV). assume that:
- Your daily driving is about 40 KM (about 15,000 km annually)
- Total running in 5 years: 75,000 km
- Average fuel/electricity rates: Petrol ₹95/litre, CNG ₹80/kg and electricity ₹8/unit.
1. Petrol Variant (Nexon 1.2L Turbo Petrol)
- Estimated On-Road Price: ₹11,50,000
- Real World Mileage: 13-14 km/l (average 13.5 km/l)
- Fuel cost for 5 years: Approximately 5,555 liters of petrol will be required for 75,000 KM.
- Fuel expense at the rate of ₹95 = ₹5,27,700
- Maintenance cost (5 years): Around ₹45,000 including engine oil, filter, spark plugs and regular servicing
2. CNG variant (Nexon i-CNG)
- Estimated on-road price: ₹12,60,000 (about ₹1.1 lakh more than petrol)
- Real World Mileage: 20 km/kg
- 5 year CNG expense: Approximately 3,750 KG CNG will be required for 75,000 km.
- CNG cost at ₹80: ₹3,00,000
- Maintenance cost (5 years): Around ₹50,000 including CNG kit testing, spark plugs and engine servicing
3. EV Variant (Nexon.ev 40.5 kWh Long Range)
- Estimated on-road price: ₹16,50,000 (about ₹5 lakh more than petrol)
- Real World Range: Real-world range of approximately 280-300 KM is available on a single charge. That means it takes about 14 units of electricity to travel 100 KM.
- Electricity expenditure for 5 years: Approximately 10,500 units of electricity will be consumed for 75,000 KM
Electricity cost at ₹8 per unit: ₹84,000 - Maintenance cost (5 years): Due to absence of engine parts, oil and gearbox, maintenance is lowest, around ₹ 25,000
| Parameters | Nexon Petrol | Nexon i-CNG | Nexon.ev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated On-Road Price | ₹11,50,000 | ₹12,60,000 | ₹16,50,000 |
| Fuel/electricity consumption rate | 13.5 km/l | 20km/kg | 14 kWh/100 km |
| 5 years fuel/charging expenses | ₹5,27,700 | ₹3,00,000 | ₹84,000 |
| 5 years maintenance cost | ₹45,000 | ₹50,000 | ₹25,000 |
| Total Ownership Cost for 5 Years | ₹17,22,700 | ₹16,10,000 | ₹17,59,000 |
| Running cost per km (fuel) | ₹7.03 | ₹4.00 | ₹1.12 |
What’s better for you?
Petrol Car: Your monthly running is less than 500 to 700 km, you want to keep the budget limited and mostly do weekend drives or occasional highway travel.
CNG Car: Your running is above mid (1,000 to 1,500 km a month), the CNG pump network in the city is good and you want savings in a low budget without worrying about charging. This will prove to be the most economical option in 5 years.
Electric Car: Your driving is more than 50-60 km daily, there is charging facility at home and you want a silent cabin, automatic drive and zero emissions. If your running is more than 1 lakh km in 5 years, then EV will start becoming cheaper than both petrol and CNG.
Important thing: These calculations are only an approximate example for comparison and better understanding. Actual on-road prices, insurance, fuel and electricity rates may vary depending on your city, driving style and traffic conditions. Before taking the final decision of buying a car, be sure to check the exact prices from your nearest dealership.
