L/100km to MPG Calculator
Europe measures fuel economy in liters per 100 km; America uses miles per gallon. They are not just different units — they run in opposite directions: lower L/100km is better, higher MPG is better. The conversion is MPG = 235.215 ÷ (L/100km), and this calculator handles the inversion both ways.
So a European-spec car at 6.5 L/100km is a 36 MPG car; an American 30 MPG sedan is a 7.8 L/100km car. Useful when importing, comparing spec sheets, or decoding a rental car dashboard on holiday.
How to use
- Type your figure in liters per 100 km — the MPG equivalent appears instantly.
- Or type MPG in the second box to get L/100km in the first.
- The better-worse hint updates automatically, so the inverted scales never catch you out.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert L/100km to MPG?
Divide 235.215 by the L/100km figure. 8 L/100km = 235.215 ÷ 8 = 29.4 MPG (US). For UK imperial MPG, use 282.481 instead — imperial gallons are 20% bigger.
Why do the two scales run in opposite directions?
L/100km measures fuel used per distance (lower = efficient); MPG measures distance per fuel (higher = efficient). One is consumption, the other is efficiency — the same idea from opposite ends.
What is a good L/100km?
For petrol cars: under 6 L/100km is efficient, 6–8 is typical, over 10 is thirsty. Hybrids reach 4–5; large SUVs can exceed 12. Electric cars leave the scale entirely (they use kWh/100km).
Is this US MPG or UK MPG?
This converter uses US MPG (the standard in the US). UK MPG uses the larger imperial gallon, so a car rated 40 MPG (UK) is only 33 MPG (US) — check which scale the brochure means.