How to calculate car mileage based on fuel consumption

Fuel consumption calculator

The fuel consumption calculator allows you to make 2 types of calculations:

• Calculation of the amount of fuel consumed per trip. You must indicate the average fuel consumption of the vehicle and the distance traveled.
• Calculation of average consumption per 100 km. You must indicate the distance traveled and the amount of fuel consumed.

The constantly rising price of gasoline is hitting the pockets of most motorists. Expenses for refueling a personal car make up a significant part of the budget of the average Russian.

According to the results of a study by the analytical agency AUTOSTAT, as of February 2019, 42% of surveyed motorists spend more than 4,000 rubles on gasoline monthly.

How to save on gasoline

Factors affecting fuel consumption

Choosing an economical car

The most economical cars today are cars with an electric engine. They run on batteries that require electricity to charge. Such charging is much cheaper than gasoline.

They are followed by hybrid cars. They combine a gasoline engine with an electric one. The savings in this option are significant compared to all-gasoline or diesel engines.

Neither the first nor the second are common in Russia, so you will probably have to choose the classic option. The most economical among them are those with the smallest weight and smallest engine capacity. Manufacturers usually indicate the average consumption of models in the specifications. But it’s safer to rely on reviews from real owners.

How to calculate fuel consumption

Spending on fuel is a mandatory expense item for any car equipped with an internal combustion engine. You can find out about expenses yourself by making a simple calculation of fuel consumption. How to do this correctly, and at the same time find out the expenses for each kilometer of mileage?

Experience shows that high fuel consumption can sometimes greatly sadden even a very wealthy person. Well, the general public is trying to buy cars that are guaranteed not to devour the budget with their exorbitant appetite. Another thing is that fuel consumption in real conditions may differ markedly from the data declared by manufacturing companies - for example, measurements on the European NEDC driving cycle were carried out under conditions that differed markedly from the usual operating conditions.

Calculating the consumption of gasoline or diesel fuel can be done easily and simply using numerous online calculators, although it is not forbidden to do it yourself, since there is nothing particularly complicated about it.

Necessary steps to calculate fuel consumption

First of all, fill up a full tank of gasoline or diesel fuel, not forgetting to reset the daily mileage, which is located on the instrument panel next to the main mileage of the car, which is not recommended to be “reset”. After this, you need to drive a couple of hundred kilometers, then refuel the car again to a full tank in order to find out how much fuel will enter the tank. After this, you can find out the real average fuel consumption of your vehicle.

Where to go and what to do next

How to correctly calculate consumption? If you want to find out the whole truth about the appetites of your car, then try to do without “cheating”, that is, without conditional cheating. Don't try to barely press the gas pedal or try to coast all the time - behave naturally and drive in a manner familiar to you. It is highly advisable that your route runs not only through the city, but also along the highway - this way you can find out the average fuel consumption. It is recommended to devote approximately two-thirds of your time to the city crowd, and the rest to the freedom of country roads. After you have clocked two or three hundred kilometers on the odometer, refuel to capacity again. This way you will find out how much fuel the trip actually took and compare the actual consumption with the figures provided by your on-board computer.

Formula for calculating fuel consumption

Now let's calculate the fuel consumption of the car. A very simple formula is used for this: you divide the amount of fuel consumed by the distance traveled and multiply the resulting number by one hundred (100). So that this doesn’t seem complicated to you, let’s give an example. Let's say you spent 28 liters for 300 kilometers. The calculations will be: 28 / 300 x 100 = 9.3 l/100 km.

Formula for calculating fuel costs

Once you know your actual fuel consumption, you can find out how much each kilometer of travel costs you using the data described above, and then be happy or horrified. The formula is as follows: the average consumption value is multiplied by the cost of fuel and divided by 100. So, during the test trip you got 9.3 l/100 km. Let's say your car consumes AI-95 gasoline, which now costs about 46 rubles per liter. The result obtained: 9.3 x 46 / 100 = 4.3 rubles per kilometer or 430 rubles per 100 kilometers.

Why fuel consumption may be too high

Please note: our hypothetical figure of 9.3 l/100 km is not the worst result of average fuel consumption. Let’s say this is exactly how much you should have gotten, but calculations showed, say, 12-14 liters at the usual rhythm of movement. What are the reasons for the excessive consumption of “golden” fuel today? There are a lot of them, starting with driving style and ending with numerous technical faults.

Before looking for the cause in technical problems, we suggest starting small, and first check the tire pressure. If they are reduced, then the engine's appetite may increase quite noticeably. Is there a roof rack? It creates aerodynamic drag and this also increases the fuel consumption of your car. And the turned on air conditioner can also have its say.

As for technical malfunctions, the culprit may be a dirty air filter, which puts a difficult barrier in the air path, or faulty injectors or a fuel pump. A non-optimal fuel-air mixture ratio directly affects the scale of fuel consumption, and in particularly advanced situations can cause serious breakdowns. Worn spark plugs, high-voltage wires and ignition coils can also increase fuel consumption and significantly affect the behavior of the car.

Faulty brakes, such as a stuck caliper, failed wheel bearings and unadjusted wheel alignment, also have a direct impact on costs. But, we repeat, all these malfunctions have very characteristic consequences, which are quite difficult not to notice. If the caliper “wedges,” the brake disc will get very hot, the long-lived bearing will hum, and due to a crooked wheel alignment, the tires will quickly become unusable.

How to reduce fuel consumption

There is a list of rules to reduce fuel consumption. First of all, remember that the technical condition of the car depends on your appetite. If you are a driver who professes an active driving style, and at the same time want to spend less on gasoline, then break your habits.

Accelerate smoothly, try to avoid hard acceleration and shift up early. If the road conditions and terrain allow, then practice coasting. By the way, at traffic lights and in dense traffic jams, you yourself can play the role of the stop-start system (automatically turning the engine off and on during stops), which can now often be found on modern cars - just turn off the unit during more or less long pauses. When you get out on the highway, remember that driving fast at sub-optimally high engine speeds also leads to noticeable overruns. By choosing a speed of 100-110 km/h you will not go beyond reasonable fuel consumption.

Calculation of car fuel consumption. Formula for calculation

Every car enthusiast wants to know the real fuel consumption of his car. Often, fuel consumption data in official technical specifications is underestimated or given for ideal conditions. But calm weather, smooth and even asphalt, no traffic jams and a constantly straight road are extremely rare. Correct calculation of fuel consumption will help you avoid unnecessary hassle on the road and walking with a canister to the nearest gas station.

Methods for estimating flow

There are several opportunities to measure a car's appetite. You can resort to a simple method of determining the flow rate, but for a more accurate calculation it is better to use special formulas. Calculation of fuel consumption rates is required at the enterprise to determine the amount of money spent on fuel and lubricants in the monthly balance. Therefore, these calculations are based on a number of legislative documents and regulations that can be found in special reference books.

Simple calculation

This fuel consumption calculation is based on statistical observations. You need to fill a certain amount of fuel and at the same time record the readings on the odometer. After this, we drive until we use up the fuel poured into the tank and record the odometer readings again. Further calculations are very simple. Formula for calculating fuel consumption:

consumption = liters / kilometers *100

You need to take the number of liters of fuel filled and divide by the difference in odometer readings. This will give us fuel consumption per km. The calculation of the required amount of fuel per 100 km is obtained by multiplying the result by 100.

Many people recommend carrying out this measurement with the initial empty tank. Fill a full tank or any other accurately known amount of fuel and use it completely. With this approach, the average flow rate can be calculated as accurately as possible. But this method also has several disadvantages. Driving with an empty tank is bad for the fuel system of many cars. You will also have to carry a canister of fuel with you for later refueling. You can use the same approach as described above, but take measurements and refuel when the refueling light comes on. This will eliminate the canister in the cabin and completely empty the fuel tank.

Standard calculation

This fuel consumption calculation takes into account some additional factors that significantly affect fuel consumption. Standard fuel calculations are often used at enterprises to determine the cost of fuels and lubricants. The formula for calculating fuel consumption is as follows:

RASHnorm = 0.01 * RASHbase * DIST * COEFFICIENT

In this formula, RASHbase is the base fuel consumption, which is indicated in the technical characteristics of the car, RAST is the number of kilometers actually traveled per month, COEFF is the total correction coefficient.

According to the documentation, the following amendments should be adopted:

• 5% if the vehicle is older than 5 years or has a mileage of more than 100 thousand km;
• 10% if the car is older than 8 years;
• 10% when operating a vehicle in a populated area with a population of 100-250 thousand people;
• 25% if the number of inhabitants is more than 3 million people;
• 15-35% when transporting heavy and large cargo;
• 7% when climate control or air conditioning is turned on;
• 5-20% depending on the region where the vehicle is used.

RASKHav = RASKHnorm * 100 / DIST

We multiply the standard fuel consumption by 100 km and divide by the actual mileage traveled. This way we will find out the average consumption per 100 km.

Factors affecting fuel consumption

Many circumstances can reduce or significantly increase monthly costs for fuels and lubricants. Even the most insignificant, at first glance, factors significantly affect the average performance.

The main criterion that determines the calculation of fuel consumption is driving style. If you use an active driving style, you can increase average consumption by 50-60%.

Using an air conditioner or climate system at 100% power will increase consumption by 10-15%.

Headlights on, driving with an open window at speeds over 50 km/h and poorly inflated tires will add 4-5% for each circumstance.

The above figures indicate that fuel consumption figures can differ by almost half the average. It all depends on how you drive the vehicle and its technical condition. The quality of the road surface, traffic density, and temperature conditions can also significantly change the results of fuel consumption calculations.

So, if we like to “press on the gas” or use the “low-flying airplane” mode on the highway, then you should not be surprised at the frequency of visits to gas stations.

Alternative calculation methods

Many modern cars are equipped with an on-board computer that can easily help you constantly monitor average and current fuel consumption. Using the data obtained, you can significantly reduce fuel costs by changing gears on time or adhering to the optimal speed limit.

There is also a GPS monitoring system for the amount of fuel consumed at any time. This technology is used by owners of transport enterprises and organizations that own large special equipment.

Using these simple formulas, you can easily control fuel consumption, which is quite important given the constantly changing cost of fuel.

Fuel consumption calculator: Calculate fuel consumption

Here's how you can calculate how much fuel your car uses.

Data on vehicle fuel consumption, which automakers usually indicate in their specifications, often have nothing to do with actual fuel consumption. How can you find out how much your car really consumes? You can easily do this using fuel consumption calculators, of which there are many on the Internet. But how do such calculators work, and is it possible to calculate the fuel consumption of any car yourself? Certainly. It's very simple. We'll talk about this today. Also, as a bonus, we suggest you read our tips that will help you save fuel in your car.

If you want to know exactly how much gasoline or diesel fuel your car consumes, you can use fuel consumption calculators on the Internet (fortunately there are a lot of them today) or simply calculate fuel consumption using a simple formula yourself. First of all, you must fill your car's fuel tank completely. Next, you should reset the daily mileage on the dashboard. If you don't know how to do this, find instructions in your car's manual or search for information on the Internet.

As a rule, in many cars, the daily mileage reset button (not to be confused with the main mileage counter - the car's mileage, which cannot be reset) is located directly under the dashboard or right on it. In some cars, the daily mileage reset button is located on the steering column lever. There are also cars where, in order to reset the car’s daily mileage, you need to reset the daily odometer readings through the car settings menu.

So, after resetting the trip odometer, you should drive several hundred kilometers to find out exactly how much fuel your car actually consumes. By the way, you don’t need to burn a full tank of fuel to do this. To accurately calculate real fuel consumption, you need to drive 200-300 kilometers.

✔ Advice . Drive the car as you would in everyday life. For example, not only driving on the highway. This will not calculate your actual fuel consumption, since any car driving on expressways outside the city consumes much less fuel than in the city. Therefore, your fuel test route should include both city and highway driving. If you most often drive your car in the city, then on a test route, use the car 60-70 percent of the time in city traffic. In 30-40 percent of cases you can use the car on the highway.

After you've driven a few hundred kilometers, return to the gas station and fill the fuel tank completely again. In order to calculate the real fuel consumption (and not the one shown by your car's on-board computer, the values ​​​​of which are far from reality), you must know how much fuel was consumed during your test drive and the number of kilometers on the daily odometer that you previously had to were reset. Here is the formula for calculation:

number of liters of fuel you filled: how far you drove x 100 = fuel consumption in l / 100 km

Here are two examples for calculating fuel consumption using this formula:

For example, let’s assume that, having filled a full tank of 50 liters, we drove 517 kilometers. Then, when the light on the dashboard came on, warning of low fuel level, we again arrived at the gas station to refuel. Taking into account the small amount of fuel remaining in the tank, we again refueled the car to a full tank. As a result, 48.7 liters of fuel entered the tank. Now, knowing how much fuel was consumed by the car (48.7 liters) and the mileage on the daily odometer (517 kilometers), previously reset to zero before starting measurements, we can use the above formula to calculate the real fuel consumption of our car.

Here is the final calculation using our example:

48.7 l: 517 km x 100 = 9.4 l / 100 km

In the second example, we will calculate the fuel consumption of a car for a short mileage. That is, during the run, not until the moment when the tank already runs out of fuel. Let's assume that you, having filled 50 liters of fuel (full tank) and reset the car's daily mileage, have driven 300 kilometers. Then we stopped at a gas station again and filled the car up to a full tank. As a result, 28.2 liters entered the tank. Now, knowing the mileage (300 kilometers) and the amount of fuel consumed for this mileage, using the above formula you can calculate the exact fuel consumption of your car. Here's the calculation:

28.2 l: 300 km x 100 = 9.4 l / 100 km

As you can see, with less mileage we got the same fuel consumption as with more. That's why to accurately measure your car's fuel consumption, you don't have to burn the entire tank of gas. To do this, it is enough to drive only a few hundred kilometers.

How is the cost of fuel per 1 kilometer of travel calculated?

If you know exactly how much your car consumes (by calculating the consumption using the formula above), you can easily calculate the cost of fuel per 1 kilometer of your journey. To do this, you must know the cost of 1 liter of gasoline or diesel fuel. Next, use the following formula:

Average fuel consumption x fuel price: 100 = cost per 1 kilometer

Let's stick to our example for a visual calculation using this formula: a car consumes an average of 9.4 l/100 km. With a fuel cost of 40 rubles per 1 liter, we obtain the following costs:

9.4 l / 100 km x 40 rub. / l: 100 = 3.76 rub. / km

For those who are wondering how much it costs to drive 100 kilometers, remove the division by 100 (:100) in the above formula. As a result, multiplying the average fuel consumption by the cost of one liter of fuel, you will get the amount spent per 100 km. Here is an example calculation:

9.4 l / 100 km x 40 rub. / l = 376 rub. / 100 km

How do gasoline or diesel fuel consumption calculators work?

If you don't have a calculator handy and you're not good at simple math or don't feel like doing everything in your head, you can also use a fuel calculator. On the Internet you will find many different calculators for calculating gasoline or diesel fuel consumption. To do this, enter the query “fuel consumption calculator” in the search bar of any search engine. In response to your request, you will receive a huge number of links to various online calculators that help calculate fuel consumption.

Most online online calculators will help you calculate not only the average fuel consumption, but also the cost of a trip over any distance. You can also calculate the cost of 1 kilometer of travel.

My car uses too much fuel - is it broken?

To understand how much your car actually consumes, you must compare your car's actual fuel consumption with the car manufacturer's specifications. Although usually the factory specification for fuel consumption has nothing in common with the actual car efficiency figures. However, according to the automaker, you can roughly calculate how much fuel your car actually consumes. The fact is that on average, real fuel consumption is 20-30% more than what automakers state in the technical specifications for their cars.

So, when comparing the real average fuel consumption of your car (which you, for example, calculated using the above formula) with the official data of the automaker, take into account this 20-30% difference. If actual fuel consumption is 40-50% or more higher, then you should look for the reason for the overconsumption, which may be associated with both breakdowns and your incorrect driving style. It is also possible that the cause of the overconsumption was low-quality fuel.

However, if your car's fuel consumption suddenly increases despite the fact that you drive the car on the same roads and use the same driving style as before, then there is a high probability that there is a problem with the car. Here are the main reasons for increased fuel consumption associated with malfunctions:

• Problems with the engine control unit
• Clogged injectors, worn spark plugs and clogged air filter
• Damaged auxiliary devices such as air conditioning
• Faulty bearings or brakes

But these are not all the reasons for increased fuel consumption. You can read more about this here.

How to reduce fuel consumption?

If your car consumes too much fuel, it does not always mean there is a defect. Did you know that your fuel consumption can be seriously affected by your driving style? Here are the basic rules for an economical driving style:

1) Do not shift into a higher gear prematurely.

2) Try not to drive the car with the gas pedal full.

3) Try to coast more often and do not press the gas pedal constantly.

4) Brake the engine more often, including a lower gear. Before traffic lights, release the gas in advance so that the car coasts, gradually losing speed.

5) Drive on the highway as slowly as possible. At a speed of 160 km/h, a car needs two-thirds more fuel than at 100 km/h.

6) Turn off the engine more often. Even with a relatively short wait time (about 20 seconds), it makes sense to turn off the engine. Modern cars with a stop/start system (automatic engine shutdown) automatically turn off the engine when stopping and turn on the engine when starting to move.

Besides driving, there are many other factors that can affect your fuel consumption. These include:

• Roof rack:
  Even without a load, a roof rack can increase fuel consumption by 20 percent due to increased aerodynamic air resistance.

• Tire pressure:
  Tire pressure that is too low has a negative impact on fuel consumption. The air pressure should be checked regularly at a gas station (or before driving at home) and compared with the data recommended by the car manufacturer (you can find the correct tire pressure in the vehicle owner's manual, on the central driver's door pillar or in the fuel tank cap). Special tires with optimized rolling resistance can further reduce consumption.

• Motor Oil:
  There are special motor oils (0W-30 or 5W-20) that can reduce internal friction and therefore also reduce fuel consumption, however these oils usually cost significantly more than conventional engine lubricants.

• Vehicle equipment:
  Heating, air conditioning or heated seats make driving more comfortable but increase fuel consumption. In particular, air conditioning can increase fuel consumption by several liters per 100 kilometers.

Fuel consumption, fuel consumption calculation

Try calculating the fuel consumption for your vehicle. It's very simple.

Fuel consumption

It's no secret that transport consumes fuel - gasoline, diesel fuel, gas. And if you want to know the average fuel consumption of your vehicle, then this service is for you. You just need to indicate how many kilometers you have driven and how much fuel you have used. The fuel consumption calculator will show the fuel consumption of your vehicle, as well as how much money you spent to cover this distance.

Fuel consumption calculation

Calculation of fuel consumption is simple. It is enough to multiply the amount of fuel consumed by 100 and divide the result by the mileage. Let's look at an example - Kamaz fuel consumption . Let's assume we drove from Moscow to Novosibirsk (you can calculate the distance here) and drove 3300 km. At the same time, 825 liters of diesel fuel were burned. By entering these data into the fuel consumption calculator, we get fuel consumption equal to 25 liters per 100 km. Or let’s calculate it manually: 825 * 100 / 3300 = 25 liters per 100 km. And before the trip, check your condition using an alcohol calculator if there was a feast the day before. And also try to calculate the transport tax.

How to calculate gasoline consumption

How to calculate gasoline consumption is described above. Now a few words about how to calculate consumption as accurately as possible. The recommendation here is simple - the greater the mileage (and therefore the more fuel consumed), the more accurate the data obtained after the calculation. Therefore, it is more correct to calculate the consumption when the mileage is more than 1000 km. Until then, collect receipts from gas stations to know the exact amount of fuel consumed. If you know your fuel consumption and mileage, calculate your total fuel consumption.