Question

he variable operating cost consists of gasoline, oil, tires, maintenance, and repairs. Kristen estimates that, at her current rate of usage, the car will have zero resale value in five years, so the annual straight-line depreciation is $5,190. The car is kept in a garage for a monthly fee. Required: 1. Kristen drove the car 20,000 miles last year. Compute the average cost per mile of owning and operating the car. (Round your answers to 2 decimal places.)

Answer 1

Answer: $0.51

Kristen Lu purchased a used automobile for $25,950 at the beginning of last year and incurred the following operating costs:

Depreciation ($25,950 ÷ 5 years) $5,190

Insurance $2,700

Garage rent $1,400

Automobile tax and license $710

Variable operating cost $0.11 per mile

The variable operating cost consists of gasoline, oil, tires, maintenance, and repairs. Kristen estimates that, at her current rate of usage, the car will have zero resale value in five years, so the annual straight-line depreciation is $5,190. The car is kept in a garage for a monthly fee.

Explanation:

To calculate the fixed cost per mile, calculate the total fixed cost and divide by the number of  miles (25000).

The total fixed cost combines all the cost that do not change depending on the level of usage. These costs do not reduce if Kristen uses her car less or increase if she uses her car more. The variable cost is the opposite of this.

Total fixed cost = $5,190  + $2,700  + $1,400  + $710  = 10,000

Fixed cost per mile = 10000/25000 = $0.40

Variable Operating Cost/Mile             = $0.11

Average Operating Cost/Mile             = $0.51