[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by Eddy

I think he meant coasting in neutral ?

That is very risky. The car should be in gear all the time. Try it, and you will fail your driving test in the UK pronto!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

In any case with your foot off the throttle you consume the same amount of fuel as at idle.

From what I've read on the forum, a more fuel-efficient option is to coast in gear - say you are in 5th at 100kmph and see a toll-booth ahead, just take foot of A-pedal and coast to a stop. I am told, modern engines consume zero fuel in this mode as fuel supply is completely shut off. I somehow find it tough to believe that there is zero consumption, though I agree that it would be minimal.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

From what I've read on the forum, a more fuel-efficient option is to coast in gear - say you are in 5th at 100kmph and see a toll-booth ahead, just take foot of A-pedal and coast to a stop. I am told, modern engines consume zero fuel in this mode as fuel supply is completely shut off. I somehow find it tough to believe that there is zero consumption, though I agree that it would be minimal.

On the Jazz MID we get a figure of 40+ kmpl if we do that

[supremeBaleno]

I have noticed the same on a Punto-D - the highest figure of 49kmpl was got in this mode.

[Frontosa]

And in that mode I.e when I take my foot off the pedal, I get 85 kmpl on Mid on the polo diesel. I don't think we can continuously get such roads

[aravind.anand]

I tried doing this with the ANHC, the MID shows 40kmpl+ and the fuel efficiency actually increases too But still the running costs seem a bit too high! Sigh!

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

I think its not going to affect the middle class a lot and will not at all affect the rich. The middle class will factor in the hike into their budget by slashing on visits to the mall, movies, ice-cream etc.

People might get inventive, like start car pooling and walking short distances, don't see any major change though.

Taking this argument one step further, I feel petol prices have been manipulated by OPEC and have been kept high purposely.

Wish the electric brigade comes out with better and cheaper products and puts us out of our misery

Arun,

I would not agree to the comment that it will not affect the middle class.

In fact, even at this juncture, it IS affecting the middle class.
I do not agree to the fact that just by curtailing visits to mall can you curb in the increased fuel bills every month.

Fuel cost forms a good percentage of your monthly expenses and the unprecedented hike pinches big time.

The only way would probably be the higher usage of bikes/car pooling or public transport.

[mb_jg]

In a sadistic way, I would love to see the fuel prices rise, in a hope that traffic reduces drastically which in turn would also dip the pollution levels. Not to mention the a dip in stress, abuses, fights, accidents.
I have already started taking the cab to office. I did not see any sense in travelling from NIBM to Hinjewadi all alone. I save a cool 4-5k every month. I have limited my driving to only weekend & highway usage.
I remember & miss the times when traffic was minimal in Pune, getting from point A to point B was like a picnic.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by mb_jg

In a sadistic way, I would love to see the fuel prices rise, in a hope that traffic reduces drastically which in turn would also dip the pollution levels. Not to mention the a dip in stress, abuses, fights, accidents.

I have already started taking the cab to office. I did not see any sense in travelling from NIBM to Hinjewadi all alone. I save a cool 4-5k every month. I have limited my driving to only weekend & highway usage.
I remember & miss the times when traffic was minimal in Pune, getting from point A to point B was like a picnic.

The first point is wishful thinking. I have seen petrol prices rise fro around Rs.0.80 - 1.25 - 2 - ... 5 ....10...20.. 30..40..... 60+ to day. Every time there is a hue and cry, but it subsides in a few months. Higher fuel prices means that every thing rises - prices, services and ultimately salaries.

In my analysis taking a cab is more economical compared to owning a vehicle with a driver, until and unless you are doing more than 80+ km/day for 12hrs+. When you add up the cost of fuel, driver, service and maintenance, the equation is slightly in favour of your car, when you add the finance costs, a cab is cheaper. Add to that the fact that in case the cab breaks down, you get a replacement (no questions asked), if the driver is absconding you get another one. If you have a long term association, you get a better deal like longer hours etc.

[srikanthns]

Originally Posted by Aroy

In my analysis taking a cab is more economical compared to owning a vehicle with a driver, until and unless you are doing more than 80+ km/day for 12hrs+. When you add up the cost of fuel, driver, service and maintenance, the equation is slightly in favour of your car, when you add the finance costs, a cab is cheaper. Add to that the fact that in case the cab breaks down, you get a replacement (no questions asked), if the driver is absconding you get another one. If you have a long term association, you get a better deal like longer hours etc.

I have to disagree here. The availability of cabs and autos is not always assured. Please come to Trivandrum. Not the off peak hours, even in peak hour, try to get an auto in the heart of Trivandrum, near railway station. You have to pass an "interview" by the auto driver about the destination, distance and his liking to your destination. If you pass the "interview", yipeee... , you are lucky.
I was once begging for auto / taxi wallahs to come to my residence to take my mother to a hospital that was 4 km away at 10p.m. Nobody came. Finally I took my mother in my bike though she was having chest pain, and got a firing from doctor.
Can you argue economics in such a scenario? No way. For me , even if it is a second hand Zen, rattling in all the joints, it is better to have one's own car.

[figo_mba]

I am saying there is only one way the prices of petroleum products can go.
It is UP!
When international market rates are high these petroleum companies go up in hue and cry about losses they are making and when the international prices actually lowers they say they are making up fr losses that they already incurred(they might have lowered prices once or twice but that is very little).

I am sure I for one will definitely drive to work until it is too cost to be affordable or I have some excellent public transportation (or car pooling facilities).

It is said that we can reduce our oil import bill by 100s of billions of rupees if all the major roads had good surface and were wide.
We call out for airports, we don't care about the railways or the roads that masses use.

We are so shortsighted and already somebody mentioned we talk and we forget (me included). And I feel very sad about it.

The way forward can be decided only by a sustained effort from the side of industry, R&D capability, Government and people.
What we need is visionary leadership, knowledgeable people and responsible citizens. I guess i have told a lot.

[Sowmya]

Be ready to pay another Rs 1.30 from 1st June. Long live our taxation concept

[shankar.balan]

the elite will survive anyway. the poor are frankly too poor to be concerned about petrol and diesel hikes - they havent even got a roof over their heads in most cases, nor electricity and other basics. the dear old sandwich class the middle class are the ones who will bear the brunt of everything as usual!
and their lordships will continue to build statues of themselves, hold agitations and hold up road development and give money to appease the gods and generally continue to make a mess of everything. we really are doomed to despair with the current bunch of no-hopers that lead us! sad, but nothing is going to change in a hurry. in fact i would be pleasantly surprised if we see a positive change taking place in the next 30 years! by then anyway a large portion of us will be rather decrepit and ancient so again, it really doesnt matter. we ve got to manage as best we can in the circumstances!

[ukderebail]

All the talks of OPEC being regulated by American lobby to maintain the price band of crude has gone for a toss. The current ruling rate of $ 115 crude oil is a bad sign for economies world over, it can trigger of recession once again ? If it is not triggered than

Logically Petrol price will touch Rs 100/ within 6 to 9 months
Diesel will hit the Rs 75 mark
CNG & LNG will hover between 50 to 60

A very scary but will be realised, where is the hydrogen technology or hybrid technology ?

[pravingmh]

I am not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but a duty on diesels seems imminent, though it seems to be nearly an year off

Govt to probe use of diesel by SUVs

Will diesel sedans/SUVs in the 6-12 lakh range be affected too? Will it be based on engine capacity?