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L/100 km to MPG Converter

Convert fuel consumption in litres per 100 km (L/100 km) to US miles per gallon (MPG).

litres per 100 kilometres

Results

Fuel economy (US MPG)

36.19 MPG (US)

Miles per US gallon. UK (imperial) MPG figures are about 20% higher.

Fuel economy (US MPG): 36.19 miles per US gallon.

Formula

Fuel economy (US MPG)
= 235.214583 ÷ L/100 km

235.214583 is 100 × 3.785411784 litres per US gallon ÷ 1.609344 km per mile. L/100 km measures fuel per distance and MPG measures distance per fuel, so converting between them is a division: the lower the L/100 km, the higher the MPG.

Worked example

A car is rated at 6.5 L/100 km. What is that in US MPG?

  1. Step 1: Convert to US MPG

    235.214583 ÷ 6.5 = 36.19 MPG

6.5 L/100 km is 36.19 miles per US gallon.

L/100 km to US MPG table

Common fuel consumption figures, rounded to two decimal places:

  • 3 L/100 km = 78.4 MPG (US)
  • 4 L/100 km = 58.8 MPG (US)
  • 5 L/100 km = 47.04 MPG (US)
  • 6 L/100 km = 39.2 MPG (US)
  • 7 L/100 km = 33.6 MPG (US)
  • 8 L/100 km = 29.4 MPG (US)
  • 10 L/100 km = 23.52 MPG (US)
  • 12 L/100 km = 19.6 MPG (US)
  • 15 L/100 km = 15.68 MPG (US)

US MPG and UK MPG are different

This converter gives US MPG, based on the US gallon of 3.785411784 litres. The UK (imperial) gallon is 4.54609 litres, about 20% larger, so the same car has a UK MPG figure about 20% higher than its US MPG figure. Check which gallon a figure uses before comparing cars.

Comparing cars: why MPG differences can mislead

Fuel used is proportional to L/100 km, not to MPG. Cutting consumption from 5 to 4 L/100 km and from 10 to 9 L/100 km both save exactly 1 litre every 100 km, yet in MPG the first looks like a gain of 11.76 MPG and the second only 2.61 MPG. When comparing running costs, compare L/100 km figures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert L/100 km to MPG?

Divide 235.214583 by the L/100 km figure to get US MPG. For example, 8 L/100 km is 235.214583 ÷ 8 = 29.4 MPG.

Does this converter use US or UK MPG?

US MPG: miles per US gallon (3.785411784 litres). UK MPG uses the larger imperial gallon (4.54609 litres), so UK MPG figures are about 20% higher for the same car.

Why does a lower L/100 km mean a higher MPG?

L/100 km is how much fuel a car uses to cover a fixed distance, so lower is better. MPG is how far a car goes on a fixed amount of fuel, so higher is better. One is the reciprocal of the other.

How do I convert L/100 km to km/L?

Divide 100 by the L/100 km figure. For example, 5 L/100 km is 100 ÷ 5 = 20 km per litre.

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