TrueCostAuto iOS User Manual & Operating Guide

Welcome to TrueCostAuto. This application uses multi-dimensional financial models and vehicle energy efficiency algorithms to reveal the true cost of ownership (TCO) of any vehicle and assist you in making rational purchasing decisions tailored to your personal preferences.

1. Core Concepts

Before getting started, it is helpful to understand these two core concepts:

• TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Buying a car involves much more than just the purchase price. TCO includes depreciation losses, fuel/electricity costs, insurance premiums, routine maintenance, road and bridge tolls, and the opportunity cost of tied-up capital or loan interest.
• PRS (Purchase Recommendability Score): A unique rating system that combines objective financial metrics with your subjective preferences (e.g., design, cargo space, driver assist features) using a custom weight slider. The resulting score ranges from $[0, 200]$ points to help you identify the vehicle that best fits your criteria.

2. Quick Start: Analyze Your First Vehicle

Step 1: Set Your Country or Region

1. Navigate to the Presets page from the bottom tab bar.
2. Tap Select Country/Region and choose your region (e.g., “United States” or “China”).
3. The app will automatically sync local interest rates, sales tax rates, average insurance/maintenance costs, and unit preferences (e.g., miles/gallon or km/liter).

Step 2: Add a Vehicle

1. On the Garage home page, tap the + (Add Vehicle) button in the bottom right corner.
2. Basic Info: Enter the vehicle name (e.g., “My Hybrid Sedan”), select the powertrain (EV, ICE, or PHEV), and condition (New or Used).
3. Purchase Costs: Enter the vehicle price. The app will automatically fill in estimated tax and first-year insurance based on your regional presets. You can modify these values to match your actual deal.
4. Usage & Efficiency: Enter your estimated annual mileage, planned ownership duration, and official fuel/electricity consumption ratings.
5. Add Factors (Optional): Tap “Add Factor” to rate specific features you care about (on a scale of $[-10, 10]$, e.g., $+5$ for “Infotainment”, $-2$ for “Seat Comfort”).
6. Tap Save in the top right corner.

Step 3: View TCO Analysis

1. Tap on the newly created vehicle card in your Garage list.
2. Open the Analysis panel to view:
   • TCO Overview Card: Displays daily, monthly, and per-mile/km costs.
   • Depreciation & Residual Value: Shows estimated value loss and expected resale value at the end of your ownership period.
   • Radar Chart & Health Rating: Rates your vehicle profile across five dimensions: depreciation control, efficiency, maintenance, resale value, and reliability.
   • Ownership Cost Trend: Drag the timeline slider to see how your annualized TCO decreases over time as depreciation flattens, and view our “optimal trade-in year” recommendation.

3. Detailed Parameter Guide

Fine-tuning the following parameters during entry will align calculations closely with your real-world expenses:

A. Purchase Details

• Purchase Price: The purchase price of the vehicle, excluding taxes and registration fees.
• Discounts & Subsidies: Enter manufacturer discounts, dealer markdowns, or federal/state tax rebates. This amount is subtracted from the initial investment.
• Financing: Toggle “Loan” on to enter Loan Principal, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), and Loan Term. The interest expense will be calculated and amortized into your TCO. The non-financed down payment will be subject to opportunity cost calculation. If toggled off, the entire on-road price is treated as cash subject to the capital opportunity cost.

B. Usage & Energy

• Annual Mileage: The distance you expect to drive each year. This directly affects fuel/electricity and toll road calculations.
• EV Driving Ratio (PHEV Only): For plug-in hybrid or range-extended vehicles, estimate the percentage of driving done on electricity (e.g., daily commuting) versus gasoline. A higher EV ratio lowers overall running costs.
• Range Efficiency (EV/PHEV Only): Adjusts the official battery range based on driving conditions or climate. For cold winters, you might set this to $70\%$, and the app will automatically scale up electricity consumption.

C. Subjective Factors

• Tap Add Factor to select or define custom preference tags.
• Move the slider from $-10$ (Strongly Dislike) to $+10$ (Strongly Like), with $0$ representing Neutral. These ratings do not impact monetary calculations but directly affect the vehicle’s PRS score on comparison screens.

4. Vehicle Comparison (PK) & Decisions

If you are deciding between multiple cars, use the PK Comparison module:

4.1 Start a Comparison

1. In the Garage, check the boxes on the vehicles you want to compare (Free users can compare up to 2 cars; Pro subscribers can compare up to 16).
2. Tap the floating PK (Comparison) button in the bottom right corner to enter the comparison page.

4.2 Preference Weighting

• Use the Preference Slider at the top of the screen to balance budget against personal appeal:
  • Economy (100%): The PRS score is determined entirely by holding costs (daily cost and energy costs). The most cost-efficient vehicle ranks highest.
  • Preference (100%): The PRS score is determined entirely by your subjective factor ratings. The vehicle with the highest personal appeal ranks highest.
  • Adjust the slider to find a balance that matches your budget flexibility. The app updates rankings in real-time, highlighting the recommended choice.

4.3 Sensitivity & Cost Overviews

• Mileage-Cost Sensitivity (Annual):
  • This line chart shows how annual costs change as mileage varies.
  • Tipping points (where lines cross) indicate where a vehicle with higher initial costs but lower running costs (such as an EV) becomes more cost-effective than an ICE car.
• Total TCO Trend:
  • Displays cumulative expenses and depreciation over time.
  • The chart uses a solid line for your planned ownership period and a dashed line for projections beyond that.
  • The stacked bar chart breaks down cost categories (insurance, depreciation, fuel/electricity, maintenance) so you can easily identify where most of your money goes.

4.4 Smart Insights & Recommendations

The comparison screen displays intelligent summaries based on your vehicle inputs:

• High Mileage Recommendation: Warns users with high annual mileage if they have chosen a pure ICE vehicle, suggesting EVs or PHEVs to save on fuel.
• Low Mileage Used Car Recommendation: Suggests considering a 3-5 year old used vehicle for low-mileage drivers to avoid the steep initial depreciation curve.
• Used EV Warning: Reminds buyers of pre-owned EVs to check battery health and warranty status to avoid high battery replacement costs.

5. Settings & Maintenance

5.1 Custom Presets & Resets

Regional presets are based on average market data. You can customize them for your specific situation:

1. Go to the Presets page and locate the field you want to modify (e.g., “Electricity Rate” or “Stable Return Rate”).
2. Enter your custom value. This change only affects the currently selected country/region.
3. To discard changes, go to Settings and tap Reset Configuration to restore the country’s default parameters.

5.2 Data Backup & Recovery

We recommend backing up your data to prevent loss:

1. Tap Settings -> Backup Data.
2. Select the items you want to back up (vehicles, presets, and factors) and tap Export Backup File to save a JSON file to the iOS Files app.
3. To restore or transfer data, tap Restore Data and select your backup JSON file.

⚠️ Warning: Restoring data replaces all current local database entries. This action cannot be undone.

5.3 Billing Versions

The app offers three access levels:

1. Free Version

   • Garage Limit: Max 2 vehicles. Creating a 3rd vehicle triggers the Paywall.
   • Ads: Displays ad banners.
   • Promotions: Displays upgrade cards in Settings and Garage.

2. Subscribed Version

   • Garage Limit: Save up to 16 vehicles.
   • Ads: Ad-free experience.
   • Promotions: Retains upgrade prompts for the Lifetime purchase.
   • Trial: 3-day free trial on first subscription.

3. Elite / Lifetime Version

   • Garage Limit: Unlimited vehicles (up to 999+).
   • Ads: Permanently ad-free.
   • Promotions: All upgrade banners and prompts are hidden.
   • Payment: One-time purchase to unlock all features permanently.