How to Calculate Your Vehicle's Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency is just distance divided by fuel, but it is reported two different ways around the world. Here is how to get both figures from one fill-up.
What is the Fuel Efficiency Calculator?
Divide the distance you drove by the fuel you used to get kilometres per litre, then flip that figure to get litres per 100 km. Both numbers describe the same efficiency, just in the two conventions different countries prefer, so you can compare vehicles or track changes over time.
How to use it
- Enter the distance you drove in kilometres.
- Enter the fuel used in litres.
- Press Calculate to see your efficiency in km per litre and litres per 100 km.
Worked example
Distance 500 km on 40 litres: the tool gives 12.5 km per litre and 8 litres per 100 km.
If I drive 500 km on 40 litres, what is my fuel efficiency?
Your efficiency is 12.5 km per litre, because 500 divided by 40 is 12.5, which is the same as 8 litres per 100 km. The two figures are reciprocals of each other, so knowing one always gives you the other.
Frequently asked questions
Which figure is better, higher or lower?
For km per litre, higher is better because you go further on each litre. For litres per 100 km, lower is better because you use less fuel for the same distance.
Should I use a full tank or a single fill-up?
Either works as long as the distance and the fuel match the same period. A full-tank-to-full-tank measurement is usually the most accurate.