Fuel and trip cost calculator
Planning a drive? Enter the distance, how thirsty your car is and the price of fuel, and see the cost of the trip, one way and return, and each passenger's share.
How the fuel and trip cost calculator works
The fuel you need is the distance divided by your miles per gallon, or the distance times litres per 100 km divided by 100. Multiply that by the price of fuel for the trip cost. The calculator also shows the cost per mile or kilometre and doubles it for a return journey.
Your car's real fuel economy changes with speed, load, hills, traffic and tyre pressure, so use the figure from your trip computer if you can. It is usually more accurate than the brochure number.
The formula behind it
US: fuel = distance ÷ mpg. Metric: fuel = distance × (L/100 km) ÷ 100. Cost = fuel × price.
A worked example
A 300-mile trip at 30 mpg uses 10 gallons. At $3.50 a gallon, that is $35 one way and $70 return. With two people sharing, each pays $17.50 one way.
Questions people ask
How do I convert mpg to L/100 km?
Divide 235.2 by the mpg (US). 30 mpg is about 7.8 L/100 km.
Does it include tolls and parking?
No. Add those separately to your total.
Why is my real cost higher?
Motorway speeds, heavy loads, air conditioning and cold weather all use more fuel than the average figure.
Can I use it for an electric car?
Not directly. Convert your car's kWh per 100 miles and electricity price into a cost per mile and multiply by distance.