Car Industry

Diesel Vehicles

By admin ⋅ February 27, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
The number of diesel cars in Australia is on the rise, 2009 figures showed an 80% increase in the number of passenger vehicles (car and 4WD) registered with diesel engines in the five years since 2004.

In the same timeframe, the number of passenger vehicles in the country has grown by only 13 per cent, from 10.6 million to 12.0 million.

According to Ausstats’ Motor Vehicle Census, 579,688 of Australia’s 12million passenger vehicles in 2009 were diesels – equivalent to about one car/4WD in every 21 on the road.

But what are the advantages of a diesel vehicle considering that unleaded and diesel prices are on par, and a diesel vehicle can cost significantly more upfront.

A study conducted by the NRMA Motoring &Services, late last year, revealed that driving diesel vehicles could reduce fuel consumption by up to 33 per cent when compared to driving the same-model vehicles running on petrol.

The study compared four models and found the diesel variant of the Holden Epica could reduce consumption by 33 per cent on city roads and 20 per cent on highways leading to an overall 28 per cent reduction on a combination of city and highway use.
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The Hyundai i30 diesel achieved a 20 per cent lower fuel consumption overall that its petrol equivalent, the Holden Astra 19 per cent and the Hyundai Sonata 13 per cent less.

On average, the four diesel models tested consumed 20 per cent less fuel than their petrol counterparts.

However, there is a compromise that needs to be considered before making the move to a diesel vehicle. Diesel engines do not generate as much power and so consumers will need to preference the importance of a vehicle’s engine characteristics and performance over fuel consumption.

In addition to considering diesel, motorists can also adopt the following measures to reduce fuel consumption

• A fuel consumption survey by the NRMA in 2008, found that driving aggressively increases a car’s fuel consumption by as much as 35 percent.
• Ensure tyre pressure is correct. Inflate your tyres to the highest pressure recommended and make sure your wheels are aligned.
• Drive in the right gear – driving in a lower gear than you need actually wastes fuel.
• Be conservative when it comes to using the air conditioning, they can use about 10 per cent extra fuel when operating.
• Check the boot and remove items you do not need for your travels, heavier items add more weight to the vehicle and the more weight a vehicle carries the more fuel consumed.

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