How to calculate fuel consumption
To calculate your vehicle's fuel consumption you need to know two numbers:
2. Amount of fuel used to drive that distance.
Here is one easy way to get these two numbers:
• Drive.
• At the next fill-up, write down your trip odometer reading,
fill up to the first click-off and write down the amount of fuel it took.
This gives you the amount of fuel used and the distance driven between fill-ups.
What do you want to calculate?
mpg Calculator
mpg formula: Divide the number of miles driven between fill-ups by the number of gallons used:
mpg = miles driven / gallons used.
Next:• Calculate what is your cost per 1 mile »
• Common problems causing poor gas mileage »
L/100 km Calculator
L/100 km formula: For the metric system, multiply the number of liters consumed by 100 and then divide by the kilometers driven.
L/100 km = number of Liters x 100 / number of kilometers.
Next:Where to check fuel consumption rates
US: Fueleconomy.gov - check the mpg and L/100 km estimated rates, as well as estimated fuel cost per year for different cars. You can also compare ratings of different cars.
Tip:
Once you found your car, click "Personalize" button and change "How many miles do you drive in a year?" and "What percentage of your miles are in stop and go traffic?"
to get more precise numbers.
Canada: Fuel Consumption Ratings - compare ratings of different models, estimated fuel costs per year.
If your actual fuel economy is significantly worse than estimated numbers, this could be an indication of some mechanical problem with your car.
Read more: Common reasons for
poor gas mileage
Calculate cost of fuel per mile
To calculate cost of fuel per mile: Divide price per gallon by your car mpg.
Cost of fuel per mile = Price per gallon / mpg
Convert US mpg to L/100 km
Tips to improve fuel economy
• Drive smoothly - the harder you accelerate, the more fuel you use.
• Fuel consumption increases at higher speeds; you get better mpg at 50-70 mph than at 80-90
• If possible, use the cruise control when driving on a highway
• Turn off the air conditioner when you don't need it.
• Don't carry extra load in your trunk.
• Keep your tires properly inflated.
• Keep your engine in good shape; get a tune-up done at least every 60,000 miles.
Interesting new green cars
Volkswagen XL1 |
Paying too much for gas? How about 261 mpg car? Volkswagen announced launch of XL1 two-seater plug-in hybrid car that will have a ridiculous 261 mpg European combined rating. Consider this: with a regular modern car like, for example, Mitsubishi Lancer with 26 mpg combined rating, the average cost of fuel is close to $2,000 per year. Imagine paying only $200-$300 for fuel per year with this car?
Volkswagen XL1 inside |
This vehicle weighs only 1753 pounds and has a plug-in hybrid system with a small two-cylinder 47-hp diesel combined with a 27-hp electric motor and a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automated manual transmission. The XL1 has a top speed of 99 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 12.7 seconds. No word yet when this car will be available in North America.
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 10 best used cars/SUVs with good fuel economy » |
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