Fueleconomy.gov - Fuel Economy

Fuel economy refers to how far a vehicle can travel on a specific amount of fuel. The higher the fuel economy, the less fuel -- gasoline, diesel, whatever -- the vehicle uses. In the U.S., the standard measure of fuel economy is miles per gallon, or mpg. This measure refers to how many miles a vehicle can travel before using one gallon of gasoline.

Where metric units are used, fuel economy measurements are given in either KPL or KMPL (kilometers per liter). A higher fuel economy ratio indicates a more fuel-efficient vehicle. In some nations, fuel consumption rather than fuel economy is used to measure the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.

To use the calculator, simply enter the distance you traveled and the amount of fuel you used to get from your origin to your destination and click the "Calculate" button. You will then receive an estimation of the average fuel economy.

Various strategies can be employed to reduce losses at each of the conversions between the chemical energy in the fuel and the kinetic energy of the vehicle. Driver behavior can affect fuel economy; maneuvers such as sudden acceleration and heavy braking waste energy.