What Does L/100 km Mean?

What is L/100 km?

L/100 km means litres of fuel used to travel 100 kilometres.

It is one of the most common ways fuel economy is shown in Canada.

Yes. A lower L/100 km number means the vehicle uses less fuel to travel the same distance.

For example, a car rated at 6 L/100 km generally uses less fuel than a vehicle rated at 10 L/100 km.

Suppose your car averages 8 L/100 km.

If you drive 100 km, the vehicle would use approximately 8 litres of fuel.

If you drive 50 km, it would use approximately 4 litres.

You can estimate fuel usage by dividing the distance travelled by 100 and multiplying that number by your vehicle's L/100 km.

For example, if you drive 250 km in a vehicle averaging 8 L/100 km:

250 ÷ 100 = 2.5

2.5 × 8 = 20 litres

The trip would use approximately 20 litres of fuel.

Once you know how many litres the trip uses, multiply that amount by the price per litre.

If the trip uses 20 litres and fuel costs $1.50 per litre:

20 × $1.50 = $30

Your estimated fuel cost would be $30.

Vehicles often have different city and highway fuel economy ratings.

Stop-and-go driving generally uses more fuel than steady highway driving, so city L/100 km is often higher.

The number shown for your vehicle is an estimate. Your actual fuel consumption can change depending on how and where you drive.

Traffic, cold weather, idling, acceleration, tire pressure, vehicle load and air conditioning can all affect fuel consumption.

In the United States, fuel economy is commonly shown as miles per gallon, or MPG.

The two systems work in opposite directions: with L/100 km, lower is better. With MPG, higher is better.

Use the DriveMath Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate fuel used and cost per trip, month or year.