Author Archives: Jack @ NRMA

About Jack @ NRMA

Jack is the NRMA’s advocate and champion for vehicle technical and environmental issues. He has been with NRMA for 22 years and previous to that worked for a vehicle manufacturer and ran an emissions laboratory. He analyses new technologies, suggests any testing required and manages the NRMA’s involvement in national programs such as ANCAP, the high speed crash test program that provides safety ratings for purchasers of new vehicles; the Used Car Safety Ratings, that provide similar ratings for used cars; the Child Restraint Evaluation Program, to rate child restraints; and the Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets (CRASH) to rate motorcycle helmets. Jack also presents NRMA policy and test results from these programs in the media, so you may see him on TV or hear him on the radio.

Safety of new car manufacturers

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Chery J1 ANCAP Crash Test

Chery J1 ANCAP Crash Test

Given recent crash test results from ANCAP (the Australasian New Car Assessment Program), some car buyers might be wary about purchasing vehicle brands being introduced into Australia for the first time.

Recent results include 2 stars (out of 5 maximum) for the Chery J11 and Mahindra Pik-Up and in 2010, 2 stars for the Great Wall utes.  The Geely MK and Chery J1, both small cars, scored 3 stars compared to most small cars tested by ANCAP which are scoring 4 or increasingly, 5 stars.  According to ANCAP, you are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in a 1-star vehicle than a 5-star vehicle in the same crash.

However, we need to remember that we still have the Proton Jumbuck and Mitsubishi Express on sale in Australia scoring 1 star and these companies have been represented in the Australian market for many years.  There are also several ute models from long-established manufacturers that score 3 stars.  It’s also worth noting that the Great Wall wagon scores 4 stars.

So there is not a strong basis for avoiding the purchase of vehicles from brands recently introduced into the Australian market.

NRMA’s advice is to check the ANCAP crash ratings of any new vehicle you are considering buying.  We recommend 4 stars as a minimum and preferably 5.  If you are considering a second-hand car, NRMA also provides ratings based on police reports of crashes - again we recommend purchasing a vehicle from the best category.

Would you buy a car from a new car manufacturer?

LPG – would you convert?

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This blog is the final in our series on fuels. We aimed to clear up the confusion about which fuels are the best to use by looking at each one in detail – premium unleaded, E10 and E85, Diesel and finally, LPG.

LPG fuel pump

Have you converted your car to LPG?

LPG

There has been much discussion in the media recently in regard to excise (tax) on LPG, which was promised by the previous Federal Government and will be introduced at 2.5 cents per litre from December this year, increasing at 2.5 c/L each year until it reaches 12.5 c/L in 2015.  While this makes converting to LPG or buying a new LPG car less attractive, how much impact will it really have?

If we assume you travel 20,000 kilometres per year in a large vehicle (these are the ones most often converted) that has a petrol consumption of 15 litres per 100 km, you will use 20,000 x 15/100 = 3000 litres of petrol.  If we assume petrol is $1.40/L the petrol cost will be $4,200.

Fuel consumption when using LPG in dual-fuel (or bi-fuel) is around 30% higher when using LPG, so we can expect around 19.5 L/100 km, meaning a year’s usage will be around 3,900 litres of LPG.  At 65 c/L for LPG, this would cost $2,535, a saving of $1,665.

A conversion for a modern vehicle costs $4,000-4,500 so if no excise was to be added, the payback period would be 2.5 to 2.7 years.  After this you have paid back the conversion cost and are saving the difference between the petrol and LPG price every time you fill up.

With excise increasing by 2.5 c/L per year and ending up at 12.5 cents per litre, this would increase your yearly LPG cost by around $100 each year, to $3,023 in 2015, saving about $1,200 compared with petrol.  This gives a payback period of around 3.5 years so you would want to be confident you would be keeping the vehicle for some time.

Of course, all these calculations are based on current fuel prices.  If they change significantly, you would have to recalculate the amounts and payback periods.

There are also grants available for people wanting to convert their vehicle. See the AusIndustry LPG Vehicle Scheme for more information.

Have you converted your car to LPG and have you found it a cost-effective exercise?  

Diesel – fuel for thought

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In the third part of our Fuel series, we look at diesel.

diesel pump at petrol station

Are diesel cars more fuel-efficient?

As price-pressured motorists look to get more bang from their buck, sales of diesel light vehicles have increased rapidly over the last couple of years.  Due to lower fuel consumption rates than an equivalent petrol engine, diesel engines are the standard in heavy vehicles. So why not in light engines too?

Pros:

  • Modern diesel engines are as quiet, smooth and powerful as petrol engines and are more fuel-efficient.

Cons:

  • One disadvantage often mentioned by NRMA Members is that diesel handpieces at garages often have a film of diesel fuel over them, as any spillage does not evaporate as quickly as petrol.  And if the diesel gets on your hands or clothing, the smell is difficult to remove. Retailers are making efforts to avoid this but have not yet found a perfect system.

Consider:

  • Diesel fuel does not contain more energy than petrol. In fact, it contains marginally less.
  • Whereas the intake of a petrol engine has a throttle blade in it, which forms an obstruction and reduces efficiency, a diesel engine doesn’t. Therefore, it gets lower fuel consumption.
  • Diesel variants are often more expensive to purchase than the petrol ones, so if your interest is purely in lower running costs, make sure it is going to make sense for you by checking out the NRMA’s Car Operating Cost Calculator.
  • In many cases, the higher initial purchase cost outweighs the reduced fuel cost.  But you are also gambling on the price of diesel staying similar to petrol over several years.
  • If you have never driven a diesel-engined vehicle and are considering purchasing one, you should test drive a few to see how it feels.

If you drive a diesel car, do you feel you’ve you got your money back in reduced fuel/servicing costs?  And are you happy with the driving characteristics of diesel?

Ethanol in petrol – is it ok for my car?

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This is the second blog in our series on Fuels.  In the first blog we looked at premium fuels, now we take a look at ethanol in petrol (E10 and E85).

ethanol in petrol

Does an ethanol petrol blend affect the performance of your car?

E10

E10 is standard unleaded petrol (ULP) with 10% ethanol added. From 1 July next year (2012) standard unleaded petrol will no longer be available in NSW and will be replaced with E10. This strategy is endorsed by the NRMA Board and aims to encourage the take-up of ethanol – which is locally produced and reduces Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels.  Straight unleaded is now getting harder to find.

Vehicles built pre-1986, some post-1986 vehicles, most small engines such as chainsaws and whipper-snippers and most Japanese motorcycles are recommended NOT to use ethanol. These vehicles and power tools will have to use premium petrol when ULP becomes unavailable.

Motorists whose vehicles cannot use ethanol should be aware that all petrol distributed by United contains ethanol except its Premium 98. View a list of all petrol grades available in NSW.

The octane of E10 is commonly 93-94, so motorists whose vehicles are specified for 95 octane fuel should be cautious using E10. If you want to try E10 check that there are no unusual noises like rattling or pinging under acceleration, which is a sign that the octane is too low.  United claims its E10 is 95 octane.

Check whether your vehicle is suitable to use an ethanol petrol blend.

A refuel of 50 litres at a price difference of 10 cents a litre between E10 and premium would cost an extra $5.   But this has to be kept in perspective with the overall cost of running a vehicle.

E85

You should not use E85 in any vehicle that is not designed for it. The only cars designed for E85 are the current model Holden Commodores that are so marked and the Saab Biofuel range.  For other vehicles, check the recommendation in the owner’s manual or check with the dealer or manufacturer and adopt their recommendation.

In our next blog, we’ll take a look at Diesel.

Do you use an ethanol petrol blend in your car? What affect has it had on your car’s performance and reliability?

Petrol grades currently available in NSW*

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Company Fuel Name Research Octane Number – RON
Description
7 Eleven Unleaded 91 91 ULP – Unleaded Petrol
Premium unleaded 95 95 Premium
Premium unleaded 98 98 Ultra Premium
Unleaded E10 93-94 ULP +10% ethanol
Diesel N/A Diesel
BP Unleaded 91 91 ULP
Unleaded 95 95 Premium
BP Ultimate 98 Ultra Premium
e10 Unleaded 93-94 ULP +10% ethanol
Diesel N/A Diesel
Shell/Coles Unleaded 91 ULP
Premium 95 Premium
V-Power 98 Ultra Premium
Unleaded E10 93-94 ULP+10% ethanol
Diesel 10 N/A Diesel
Caltex/Woolworths Unleaded 91 ULP
Vortex 95 95 Premium
Vortex 98 98 Ultra Premium
E10 unleaded 93-94 ULP+10% ethanol
New Generation Diesel N/A Diesel + 2% biodiesel
Bio B5 N/A Diesel + 5% biodiesel
Bio B20 N/A Diesel + 20% biodiesel
E85 100+ ULP + up to 85% ethanol
United Petroleum Plus ULP 95 ULP+10% ethanol
Boost 98 98 Premium +10% ethanol
Premium 98 98 Ultra Premium
E85 (only available in Rozelle) 100+ ULP+ up to 85% ethanol
Diesel N/A Diesel
Liberty Unleaded 91 ULP
e10 Unleaded 93-94 ULP+10% ethanol
Premium unleaded 95 Premium

*not all available at all sites