Ethanol near the threshold
- Input
- Gasolina 5,99 / Etanol 4,50
- Expected output
- ratio ~75%, gasolina compensa
Ratio above 70%, gasoline is the cheaper choice here.
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ethanol vs gasoline break even
Enter the pump price of gasoline and ethanol to instantly see which one pays off, with the 70% break-even ratio already calculated.
Ratio above 70%, gasoline is the cheaper choice here.
Ratio below 70%, ethanol tends to pay off.
It is a popular Brazilian rule of thumb that compares only the pump price of the two fuels: divide the ethanol price by the gasoline price, and if the result is below 0.70 (70%), ethanol tends to be the cheaper choice. The rule exists because ethanol holds roughly 30% less energy per liter than gasoline, so a flex-fuel car covers fewer kilometers on a liter of ethanol than on a liter of gasoline.
It is a solid general reference, but different engines have slightly different efficiency on ethanol. If you know your car's real consumption on both fuels, use this calculator's consumption fields for an exact, vehicle-specific answer.
Because it holds less energy per liter, roughly 30% less than gasoline. An engine has to burn a larger volume of ethanol to release the same energy that a smaller volume of gasoline would.
The 70% figure specifically is a Brazilian benchmark, calibrated for the hydrous ethanol sold at Brazilian pumps. The underlying energy-per-liter logic applies anywhere, but the exact break-even percentage can differ depending on the ethanol blend sold locally.
Based on the 70% price-ratio rule only. Enter your car's mileage on both fuels above for an exact answer.
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