Fuel Consumption Converter
Fuel economy - MPG, liters per 100 km, kilometers per liter.
Enter a value above to convert between liters per 100 km and US miles per gallon.
How to convert fuel consumption units
Fuel consumption is reported two opposite ways. Economy units measure distance per unit of fuel - kilometers per liter (km/L), miles per US gallon (MPG) - so a bigger number is better. Consumption units measure fuel per fixed distance - liters per 100 km (L/100km) - so a smaller number is better. The two groups are reciprocals: to cross between them you divide into a constant rather than multiply by a fixed factor. Units inside the same group still convert by a simple factor.
Worked example
A car rated at 8 L/100km converts to US MPG as 235.215 / 8 = 29.40 mpg (US), and to kilometers per liter as 100 / 8 = 12.5 km/L. The same car is 35.31 mpg (UK) on the larger imperial gallon.
What is 8 L/100km in MPG?
Eight liters per 100 km equals about 29.40 US MPG, 35.31 UK MPG, or 12.5 kilometers per liter. A US gallon (3.785 L) is smaller than an imperial gallon (4.546 L), which is why the UK MPG figure is always the higher of the two for the same vehicle.
When you'll use a fuel consumption converter
Fuel economy conversion comes up when shopping for a car across borders (US window stickers in MPG versus EU figures in L/100km), planning a road trip abroad, or reading a spec sheet that quotes km/L. The table above lists your value in all 37 supported units at once.
Common fuel consumption conversions
Quick-reference rates for the fuel economy conversions people search most - liters per 100 km, US and UK miles per gallon, and kilometers per liter, at realistic everyday values.
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 5 liter/100 km (L/100km) | 47.0429 mpg (US) |
| 8 liter/100 km (L/100km) | 29.4018 mpg (US) |
| 10 liter/100 km (L/100km) | 23.5215 mpg (US) |
| 6 liter/100 km (L/100km) | 16.6667 km/L |
| 8 liter/100 km (L/100km) | 12.5 km/L |
| 30 mile/gallon (US) (mpg (US)) | 7.8405 L/100km |
| 40 mile/gallon (US) (mpg (US)) | 5.8804 L/100km |
| 50 mile/gallon (US) (mpg (US)) | 4.7043 L/100km |
| 10 kilometer/liter (km/L) | 23.5215 mpg (US) |
| 1 mile/gallon (US) (mpg (US)) | 1.2009 mpg (UK) |
| 1 mile/liter (mi/L) | 1.6093 km/L |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert L/100km to MPG?
Fuel economy is reciprocal, so you divide rather than multiply: US MPG = 235.215 / (L/100km). For example, 8 L/100km is 235.215 / 8 = about 29.4 US MPG. For UK (imperial) MPG, divide 282.481 by the L/100km value instead.
How do I convert MPG to L/100km?
Use the same reciprocal relationship in reverse: L/100km = 235.215 / US MPG. A car rated at 30 US MPG uses 235.215 / 30 = about 7.84 L/100km. With UK MPG, divide 282.481 by the MPG figure.
Why isn't fuel economy a simple multiplication?
Because some units measure distance per unit of fuel (km/L, MPG) while others measure fuel per fixed distance (L/100km). These two groups are reciprocals of each other, so converting between them means dividing into a constant, not multiplying by a fixed factor. Units within the same group, such as km/L to MPG, do convert by a simple factor.
What is the difference between US MPG and UK MPG?
They use different gallons. A US gallon is 3.785 liters while an imperial (UK) gallon is 4.546 liters, so the same car shows a higher number in UK MPG. Multiply US MPG by about 1.201 to get UK MPG, or divide by 1.201 to go the other way.
How do I convert km/L to L/100km?
Divide 100 by the km/L value: L/100km = 100 / (km/L). A car doing 12.5 km/L therefore uses 100 / 12.5 = 8 L/100km. The reverse is identical: km/L = 100 / (L/100km).
Which fuel consumption unit should I use?
It depends on your region. The US and UK quote miles per gallon, most of Europe uses liters per 100 km, and markets such as Japan, India and Latin America often use kilometers per liter. This converter handles all of them, plus dozens more.
Popular fuel consumption conversions
Quick links to popular fuel economy conversions - tap any pair to open the converter ready to go.