Vehicle Cost Calculator
Purchasing a car can be a time-consuming project. Comparing reviews and tests run by independent agencies, checking for lowest prices and exploring various features are all important steps to take. And now, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) offers one more tool to help you make your decision.
The new Vehicle Cost Calculator is available on DOE’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC).
The calculator is an easy-to-use tool that allows users to compare emissions and lifetime operating costs of specific vehicle models, including conventional cars and trucks, as well as vehicles running on alternative fuels such as electricity, ethanol, natural gas, or biodiesel. Car shoppers, small business owners and fleet managers can make side-by-side comparisons between thousands of conventional, electric drive, and alternative fuel vehicles from model year 1996 and newer.
You can also enter information such as driving habits, ZIP code, price of fuel and potential tax credits to personalize results. The tool then presents a comparison of the selected models, displaying the total lifetime ownership costs of the vehicles and the breakdown of the lifetime operating costs between fuel and maintenance costs. It also calculates the operational cost per mile.
In addition to the cost calculator, the AFDC features more than 20 other online tools including alternative fueling station locator, light and heavy-duty vehicle searches and laws and incentives search with information on state and federal laws and tax credits.
2012 Annual Fuel Economy Guide
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide, providing consumers with information that can help them choose a more efficient new vehicle that saves them money and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
While fuel efficient vehicles come in a variety of fuel types, classes, and sizes, many new advanced technology vehicles debut on this year’s annual list of top fuel economy performers. Fuel economy leaders within each vehicle category – from two-seaters to large SUVs – include widely available products such as conventional gasoline models and clean diesels.
Some 2012 models will be displaying a new fuel economy and environment label that provides consumers with more comprehensive fuel efficiency information, including five-year fuel costs or savings compared to the average vehicle, as well as new greenhouse gas and smog ratings. These labels are actually required in model year 2013, but automakers may voluntarily adopt the new labels in model year 2012.
Each vehicle listing in the guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost. The estimate is calculated based on the vehicle’s miles per gallon (mpg) rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows consumers to input their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate.
Printed editions of the guide are coming to dealer showrooms. DOE and EPA will provide online updates of fuel economy information as more 2012 vehicles become available.
Find more information and a complete version of the guide. If you have a mobile device, check fueleconomy.gov/m.
View the 2012 fuel economy leaders within each class and the lowest fuel economy models.