Fuel economy units
| km/L | L/100 km | US mpg | UK mpg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 12.5 | 18.8 | 22.6 |
| 10 | 10 | 23.5 | 28.2 |
| 12 | 8.33 | 28.2 | 33.9 |
| 15 | 6.67 | 35.3 | 42.4 |
| 20 | 5 | 47.0 | 56.5 |
Two ways to measure
In Pakistan and India, a car’s fuel average is given in kilometres per litre (km/L): a bigger number is better. Europe and Australia use litres per 100 km (L/100 km), where a smaller number is better. The US and the UK use miles per gallon, but their gallons are different sizes, so the same car shows a higher mpg in the UK.
Because L/100 km goes the other way, it is not a simple multiplication: L/100 km = 100 ÷ km/L.
Working out your own average
Fill the tank completely and reset the trip meter. Next time you fill up, divide the kilometres driven by the litres you put in. For example, 420 km on 32 litres is 420 ÷ 32 = 13.1 km/L. Type that into the converter to compare it with a figure from another country.
Tips
- Official figures are measured in ideal conditions; city driving and AC use lower the real average.
- To compare running costs, multiply the litres per 100 km by the fuel price per litre.