Driving to UC - Transport Cost Calculator
This calculator works out the cost of driving to university, taking into account fuel, road user charges and parking. Simply type in how far from campus you live, select your type of vehicle and the current fuel price (if different from what's already there). Note that the calculator does not include additional vehicle costs such as registration or repairs, and the figure generated is a best-case scenario. See below for more technical information.
Fuel costs and emissions indicated are the absolute minimum for the average vehicle selected:
- Fuel consumption figures are averaged for new vehicles (2001-2007) driven in test conditions on a dynamometer
- Fuel consumption figures are based on the standard 'Urban Cycle Test' (see the VCA Car Fuel Data website for further information), which simulates ideal conditions with no traffic congestion.
In reality, fuel consumption will be greater; factors such as driving style, congestion, vehicle age and time required to find a park all affect the amount of fuel used.
Warrant, Registration, Insurance and Maintenance costs are all ignored.
Assumptions:
Yearly costs are based on an approximate 200 day University year (driving to and from University 200 times).
Fuel cost remains constant over the entire year.
Vehicle ownership regardless of use. Thus Warrant, Registration, Insurance and Maintenance costs are all ignored (only fuel, Road User Charges and University parking costs are considered for this simulation).
Scooters and motorcycles do not pay for parking.
Sources:
Car consumption data: VCA Car Fuel Data website
- New car urban test data from 2000, 2004 and 2007 was averaged over the four classes (Petrol and Diesel; above and below 2000cc);
- Data for each year was then averaged to give values used in the calculations.
Motorcycle consumption data: Motorcycle Fuel Consumption Guide
- Quoted values were averaged over the two classes (above and below 500cc);
- Consumption data from this site was assumed to be equivalent to the Combined Test (see VCA Car Fuel Data for further information) as an aggregation of Urban and Extra-Urban riding. An averaged correlation coefficient from the new car data, between Combined and Urban tests, was calculated and applied to the motorcycle consumption data to approximate Urban consumption.
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Scooter consumption data exhibited a high inconsistency and few figures were available. Two sites with user data available both quoted figures around 3.9 L/100km, while manufacturers claimed efficiencies as low as 0.8 L/100km. It was assumed that user quotes were for older, carburettor based scooters more likely to be owned by students; thus a value of 3 L/100km is used in the calculator.
Vehicle emissions figures: Rightcar - Land Transport New Zealand
University Parking costs: Campus Parking Information
Road User Charges: Land Transport New Zealand