Question

The average cost of gas where you live is $\$3.50$ per gallon, you are trying to decide whether to buy a hybrid or standard car.

The hybrid gives you $45miles$ per gallon, and the standard gives you $25miles$ per gallon, the hybrid car costs $\$8960$ more than the standard.

What’s is the minimum miles you would need to drive in order for your savings on fuel to surpass the additional cost of the hybrid vehicle

Answer 1

Finding minimum miles car needed to drive to surpass additional cost of hybrid vehicle :

Given, Average cost of gas $\$3.50$

Hybrid car mileage $45miles$ per gallon

Standard car mileage $25miles$ per gallon

Hybrid car costs $\$8960$ more than the standard.

$\therefore$ Difference in both cars mileage $=45-25$

$=20miles$per gallon

i.e $\$3.50$ spent for travelling $20miles$

To overcome the extra cost of the hybrid car, the distance travelled .

Thus, for $\$8960$spent the distance travelled $=\frac{20}{3.5}\times 8960$

$=51200miles$

Hence, the minimum number of miles to be travelled $=51200miles$.