Fuel Consumption Calculator

Quick answer: Fuel consumption in litres per 100 km is the fuel used divided by the distance, multiplied by 100. A car using 40 litres over 500 km returns 8 L/100km, or 12.5 km per litre. At $2.80 a litre that trip costs $112.00, which is $22.40 for every 100 km driven.

This fuel consumption calculator works out your vehicle's real-world fuel economy from a simple measurement, and shows what your driving is costing in fuel. Manufacturers quote an official economy figure, but the number you actually get depends on your driving, your load, the terrain and the traffic, so measuring it yourself is the only way to know. The method is easy: fill the tank, drive normally for a while, then fill up again, noting the litres it took and the distance you covered since the last fill. You enter that distance in kilometres and the fuel used in litres, and the calculator returns your consumption in litres per 100 kilometres, the standard New Zealand measure where lower is better, along with kilometres per litre. Add the fuel price per litre and it also gives the cost of that fuel and the cost per 100 kilometres, which is handy for budgeting and for comparing the running cost of different vehicles or routes. As a rough guide, a small efficient car sits around 6 litres per 100km, a typical car 7 to 9, and a large SUV or ute often above 10. Tracking this over time also flags problems, since a sudden jump in consumption can signal a mechanical issue. Enter your distance and fuel used to see your real economy straight away.

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$
8 L/100km
fuel consumption
Economy12.5 km/L
Fuel cost$112.00
Cost per 100km$22.40

Measure by filling the tank, driving, then refilling and noting the litres and distance. Estimate only.

How it works

The calculator divides the litres used by the distance and multiplies by 100 for litres per 100km, and divides distance by litres for km per litre. Fuel cost is the litres used times the price, and cost per 100km is the litres per 100km times the price.

Worked example

Using 40 litres over 500 kilometres is 40 divided by 500 times 100, which is 8 litres per 100km, or 12.5 km per litre. At 2.80 dollars a litre, that trip cost 112 dollars, about 22.40 dollars per 100km.

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