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Owning a car in Kazakhstan involves more than just the initial purchase price. Once registered, drivers face ongoing expenses for fuel, parking, and essential maintenance. These costs can vary significantly depending on the vehicle's age and type of engine.

The Expenses of Maintaining an Older Car

According to auto expert Victoria Lebedeva, older vehicles often require substantial upkeep. Lebedeva, who owns a 1996 model car, notes that her annual vehicle tax is around 10,000 tenge. Her primary monthly expense is fuel, averaging 25,000-30,000 tenge.

Paid parking adds another layer of cost. If she uses paid parking daily for work at 800 tenge per day, it amounts to approximately 16,000 tenge monthly.

Maintenance costs are particularly noticeable. Lebedeva estimates that oil changes, parts, and minor repairs cost between 200,000 and 300,000 tenge every six months, even without major breakdowns. She emphasizes that while condition and age play a role, older cars consistently demand more attention and financial investment.

In summary, Lebedeva calculates her monthly expenses for her older car, excluding major repairs, to be around 40,000-50,000 tenge, covering fuel, fluids, and other minor items. If repairs are needed, this figure could increase by an additional 200,000-300,000 tenge in the best-case scenario.

Costs Associated with a New Car

Auto expert Alexey Alekseev, whose crossover has less than 10,000 kilometers and hasn't had its first service yet, anticipates significant costs. He estimates the first scheduled maintenance will cost around 100,000 tenge, primarily for oil and filter changes. Subsequent services are expected to range from 150,000 to 200,000 tenge and upwards, depending on the complexity of the work.

Currently, Alekseev's main monthly expense is fuel. His vehicle is a mild hybrid, where the electric motor assists with acceleration but doesn't significantly reduce fuel consumption. The large, heavy crossover consumes 13-14 liters per 100 km in the city. He recently spent 17,000 tenge for a full tank of 95-octane gasoline, and alternating with 98-octane can push this figure to 20,000 tenge monthly. He estimates his total monthly fuel cost exceeds 70,000 tenge, leading him to consider an electric or full hybrid vehicle.

He allocates about 5,000 tenge per month for city parking, which he finds sufficient.

Electric Vehicles: A Different Financial Landscape

Auto blogger Roman Maslennikov, who drives an electric car and covers approximately 800 kilometers monthly, spends about 8,000 tenge on electricity per month, charging both at home and at fast-charging stations in the city.

In Almaty, electric vehicle owners currently benefit from additional perks. Maslennikov notes they are exempt from vehicle tax and do not incur parking fees. After nine months of ownership, his car has required no repairs or part replacements.

He explains that the overall cost of maintaining an electric vehicle is lower. For instance, the gearbox oil only needs changing after 40,000 kilometers. Replacing this oil can cost around 10,000 tenge at various service centers, with the oil itself priced at 17,000 tenge per liter, and approximately 4 liters are needed, bringing the total to about 70,000 tenge for this service.

Brake pads on electric cars last considerably longer due to the regenerative braking system, which uses the electric motor for partial deceleration, reducing wear on the conventional braking system. Maslennikov believes electric vehicles can be more economical than internal combustion engine cars due to their lower 'fuel' costs. He also highlighted that gasoline quality significantly impacts engine components like spark plugs, fuel pumps, injectors, and catalytic converters, leading to costly repairs over time.

However, electric vehicles also have expensive components and unique operational considerations, meaning overall savings can depend heavily on the specific model, mileage, and driving conditions.

This information was reported by Infohub.kz.