Calculate fuel, distance, or fuel efficiency by entering any two values in liters or gallons, km/l or mpg, and kilometers or miles.
Liter to Km Formula
Liters and kilometers do not convert directly, because liters measure fuel and kilometers measure distance. The link between them is your fuel efficiency, so you need to know how far your vehicle travels on each liter. To find the distance you can drive from an amount of fuel, multiply the liters by the kilometers your vehicle covers per liter:
km = L * E
Fuel economy is often given as liters per 100 kilometers instead of kilometers per liter. If you have that figure, divide the liters by the L/100km value and multiply by 100:
km = L / F * 100
To find the fuel needed for a known distance, divide the distance by the kilometers per liter, or multiply the distance by the L/100km value and divide by 100:
L = km / E
To find fuel efficiency from a trip, divide the distance you drove by the fuel you used:
E = km / L
Variables:
- km is the distance in kilometers
- L is the amount of fuel in liters
- E is the fuel efficiency in kilometers per liter (km/L)
- F is the fuel efficiency in liters per 100 kilometers (L/100km), where E equals 100 divided by F
The calculator has three modes. In distance mode you enter the fuel you have and your efficiency to get the kilometers you can travel. In fuel mode you enter a distance and your efficiency to get the liters you need. In efficiency mode you enter the fuel used and the distance driven to get your economy in L/100km, km/L, and miles per gallon. The unit menus let you enter fuel in liters or gallons, distance in kilometers or miles, and efficiency in L/100km, km/L, or MPG, so you do not have to convert anything by hand. The optional fuel price field multiplies the fuel involved by your price to show the trip cost.
Distance per Tank and Fuel Economy Charts
The first table shows how far a given amount of fuel takes you at three common efficiency levels. Lower L/100km means the fuel stretches further.
| Fuel (L) | Distance at 6 L/100km | Distance at 8 L/100km | Distance at 10 L/100km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 167 km | 125 km | 100 km |
| 20 | 333 km | 250 km | 200 km |
| 30 | 500 km | 375 km | 300 km |
| 40 | 667 km | 500 km | 400 km |
| 50 | 833 km | 625 km | 500 km |
| 60 | 1,000 km | 750 km | 600 km |
The second table converts between the fuel economy units the calculator accepts, so you can match a rating on a spec sheet to a figure you know.
| L/100km | km/L | MPG (US) | MPG (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 25.00 | 58.8 | 70.6 |
| 5 | 20.00 | 47.0 | 56.5 |
| 6 | 16.67 | 39.2 | 47.1 |
| 7 | 14.29 | 33.6 | 40.4 |
| 8 | 12.50 | 29.4 | 35.3 |
| 10 | 10.00 | 23.5 | 28.2 |
| 12 | 8.33 | 19.6 | 23.5 |
Example Problems
Example 1: Find the distance from an amount of fuel.
You have 45 liters in the tank and your car uses 7.5 L/100km. First turn the efficiency into kilometers per liter: 100 divided by 7.5 is 13.33 km/L. Then multiply by the fuel: 45 times 13.33 is about 600 km. You can also do it in one step as 45 divided by 7.5 times 100, which also gives 600 km.
Example 2: Find the fuel needed for a trip.
You are planning a 320 km drive in a car rated at 6 L/100km. Multiply the distance by the L/100km value and divide by 100: 320 times 6 is 1,920, divided by 100 is 19.2 liters of fuel for the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you convert liters to kilometers?
You cannot convert liters straight to kilometers, because one measures fuel and the other measures distance. You need your fuel efficiency to link them. Multiply the liters by your kilometers per liter, or divide the liters by your L/100km value and multiply by 100. For example, 40 liters at 8 L/100km gives 40 divided by 8 times 100, which is 500 km.
How many kilometers is 1 liter of fuel?
It depends on how efficient the vehicle is. At 8 L/100km one liter takes you about 12.5 km, and at 5 L/100km one liter takes you about 20 km. The quick rule is 100 divided by the L/100km figure, which gives the kilometers one liter covers.
How far will a full tank take me?
Multiply the tank size in liters by your kilometers per liter, or divide the tank size by your L/100km value and multiply by 100. A 50 liter tank at 6 L/100km gives 50 divided by 6 times 100, which is about 833 km. Real range is usually a little lower because city driving and higher speeds raise consumption.
