About Fuel Efficiency

Fuel efficiency measures how far a vehicle travels per unit of fuel. The US uses miles per gallon (MPG); most of the world uses L/100 km (lower is better). Note that a US gallon (3.785 L) differs from a UK/Imperial gallon (4.546 L), so US and UK MPG are not directly comparable. Better efficiency → lower fuel costs and emissions.

Key Conversions

  • MPG (US) ↔ L/100km: 235.214 ÷ MPG
  • MPG (UK) ↔ L/100km: 282.48 ÷ MPG
  • 30 MPG (US) ≈ 7.84 L/100km
  • 1 km/L = 2.352 MPG (US)

Typical Fuel Efficiency

  • Small hatchback: 5–7 L/100km (34–47 MPG)
  • SUV / MPV: 8–12 L/100km (20–29 MPG)
  • Hybrid (Toyota Prius): ~4.5 L/100km (52 MPG)
  • Truck/heavy vehicle: 12–20+ L/100km
  • Electric cars report in kWh/100km (typically 15–22)