Mileage in km/L
Fuel average in km/L tells you how many kilometres your car travels on one litre. Higher km/L generally means lower fuel cost for the same distance.
Know your car’s real fuel average instead of guessing. Use distance travelled and litres consumed to calculate km/L, then apply that figure to your running-cost estimates.
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Fuel average in km/L tells you how many kilometres your car travels on one litre. Higher km/L generally means lower fuel cost for the same distance.
For a better real-world estimate, compare odometer distance between fills and divide by litres added, ideally across several refills.
Stop-start traffic, AC and idling usually reduce city mileage, while steady highway driving can improve it.
Accurate mileage improves trip-cost, monthly commute and car-comparison calculations throughout MyDriveCost.
Fill to the pump’s normal first automatic stop and record the odometer or reset the trip meter. Drive normally, then refill to the same stopping method and record the litres added and distance travelled. The second fill estimates the fuel consumed over that interval. Do not deliberately overfill the tank or estimate litres from the fuel gauge.
450 divided by 30 gives 15 km/L. The equivalent consumption is 30 divided by 450 times 100, or 6.67 L/100 km. These units move in opposite directions: higher km/L is more efficient, while lower L/100 km is more efficient. Record which unit your dashboard uses before comparing it.
For multiple intervals, add all kilometres and divide by all litres. If one interval is 300 km using 20 L (15 km/L) and another is 100 km using 10 L (10 km/L), the combined average is 400/30 = 13.33 km/L. The simple average, (15 + 10)/2 = 12.5 km/L, is wrong here because the intervals use different fuel quantities. A simple average of km/L figures works when each interval uses the same number of litres. Separate city and highway records if your planned use differs.
For each completed fill-to-fill interval, save the start and end odometer, refill litres, dates and driving conditions. Include any intermediate fuel purchases. A missing receipt or a different finishing tank level can distort the result; mark that interval incomplete instead of treating it as a change in vehicle efficiency.
Compare several similar intervals before deciding whether consumption has changed. A school-run week and a motorway trip answer different questions. For a full walkthrough, read our fuel-economy measurement guide; to turn the measured average into a spending plan, use the monthly fuel-planning guide.
Calculation method: MyDriveCost distance-and-consumption arithmetic. Examples are illustrative. Check your own receipts, measured usage and applicable reimbursement rules.
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