Fuel efficiency is quite an important parameter in India when it comes to buying a two, three or four-wheeler. In simple words, fuel efficiency is the measure of how far a vehicle can travel in one litre of fuel. That said, the higher the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, the more benefits it offers in terms of running costs. As every category of transportation has to meet a certain set of needs, there is a huge variation when it comes to fuel efficiency. So, here in this article, just to put things into perspective, let’s compare the fuel efficiencies of very different kinds of modes of transport and vehicles and for this, we have taken an airplane, a helicopter, a supercar, an SUV, a hatchback and a motorcycle. What according to you would be the least and most fuel-efficient? Also, there is a surprise reveal in the story. Let us know if you managed to find it!?
Airplane
An airplane has possibly the most thirsty engine when it comes to the different modes of transports that you have travelled in. In order to give you an idea of the fuel efficiency of a passenger aircraft, let’s take the example of an Airbus A321 Neo. This aircraft roughly covers Delhi to Goa route in almost 3 hours and hence, for the approx 1,800 km journey, the A321 Neo will fly at an average speed of 600 kmph or simply it will cover 10 km every minute. Now, 192 seater plane will gulp 4.18 litre of fuel per kilometre which means for the 1,800 km journey, the plane should consume 7,524 litres of fuel which means 41.8 litres of fuel consumption in a minute. The fuel efficiency for an aircraft is typically measured in fuel consumption per hour and in this case, the Airbus A321 Neo will consume around 2,508 litres of fuel per hour.
Helicopter
Just like an airplane, the fuel efficiency of a helicopter is too typically measured in gallons/litres per hour. Let’s take an example of the Robinson R22 Helicopter in this case. The Lycoming O-360, four-cylinder, carbureted engined helicopter that consumes 100L grade aviation gasoline is capable of cruising comfortably at a speed of 90 knots or simply, 167 kmph. For the Robinson R22, the company is claiming a fuel efficiency of 7 to 10 gallons per hour that translates to roughly to 26 to 38 litre per hour. Now converting the fuel efficiency of the helicopter in kmpl, suppose if the helicopter is cruising at its 167 kmph speed and if it consumes roughly 8 gallons or roughly 30 litres of fuel per hour, then the answer comes out to be around 5.5 kmpl. Not that bad, isn’t it?
Supercar
Now, you will be surprised to know that the fuel efficiency of some of the supercars in the world is quite equal to that of a helicopter. Strange? Yes! For instance, Lamborghini claims a fuel efficiency of 19.2 litres per 100 km for the Huracan that translates to 5.2 kmpl. Well, what you get in exchange for this fuel efficiency is the thrill and insanely high top speed of over 300 kmph and that is the reason why speed freaks out there never mind the low fuel economy of such missiles on four wheels.
SUV
Talking of one of the most popular SUVs in India – the Ford Endeavour. The Gloster, Fortuner rivalling full-size SUV is known for its off-roading capabilities along with its credentials of a capable and comfortable mile muncher. The ARAI certified fuel efficiency of Ford Endeavour is around 13 kmpl. This is more than all categories of vehicles that we have discussed above!
Hatchback
As we get to this section, fuel efficiency becomes more of a priority as for people buying a hatchback in India, the fuel economy is certainly one of the prime things that they consider during a purchase. Taking the BS6 Hyundai Grand i10 Nios in this case. The sporty-looking hatchback comes with an ARAI rated fuel efficiency of 25.1 kmpl and hence, is currently one of the most fuel-efficient BS6 diesel cars on sale in India right now.
Motorcycle
Now, to the category that offers the maximum fuel efficiency! So, let’s talk about the most fuel-efficient one in itself. TVS Sport managed to return a staggering fuel efficiency of 110.2 kmpl. With this number, the bike also entered the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records. This means a journey from Delhi to Mumbai on a TVS Sport will demand just 12-litres of fuel!
