Convert MPG (UK) to km/L miles per imperial gallon ↔ kilometres per litre Free Online Secure
Type a value in miles per imperial gallon and read it in kilometres per litre at once. The factor is exact by definition, the arithmetic happens in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
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Convert to kilometres per litre
Common values — Convert MPG (UK) to km/L (miles per imperial gallon ↔ kilometres per litre)
| MPG (UK) | km/L |
|---|---|
| 20 | 7.08012379869 |
| 25 | 8.85015474837 |
| 30 | 10.620185698 |
| 35 | 12.3902166477 |
| 40 | 14.1602475974 |
| 50 | 17.7003094967 |
| 60 | 21.2403713961 |
| 70 | 24.7804332954 |
Where these units come from
Fuel economy is said in two opposite ways. Litres per 100 km asks how much fuel a fixed distance costs; miles per gallon and kilometres per litre ask how far a fixed amount of fuel goes. One is the reciprocal of the other, which is why this page multiplies and divides rather than scaling. Europe settled on litres per 100 km in the 1970s precisely because it is linear in the thing you actually pay for: halve the number and you halve the fuel. The United States kept miles per gallon, and Britain kept it too but with the imperial gallon — a fifth larger — so the same car scores about 20% better in British figures than in American ones without a single part having changed.
Where you meet them
These numbers decide which car gets bought, what a fleet costs to run, how company-car tax is assessed in several countries, and whether a long trip is worth driving rather than flying. They also appear on every new-car window sticker, measured on a standard test cycle rather than on a real road — which is why the figure is best used to compare one car with another, not to predict what your own week will cost.
Questions people ask
Why does the same car get a better mpg figure in Britain than in America?
Because the gallons are different. The imperial gallon is 4.54609 litres and the US gallon 3.785411784 litres, about a fifth smaller. A car that travels 30 miles on a US gallon travels the same distance on less than a British gallon, so its British figure comes out around 36 mpg. Nothing about the car changed; only the size of the container did. Always check which gallon a figure means before comparing two cars across the Atlantic.
Why is litres per 100 km considered the better measure?
Because miles per gallon flatters improvements at the top and hides them at the bottom. Going from 10 to 15 mpg saves twice as much fuel over the same distance as going from 30 to 50 — which is the opposite of what the numbers look like. Litres per 100 km has no such trap: the saving is simply the difference between the two figures. This is why fuel-saving decisions are easier to judge in litres per 100 km, even where mpg is what everyone quotes.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
MPG (UK) to km/L: British motoring figures read in Hong Kong, India and Malaysia
British cars have a loyal following in places that count in kilometres per litre. Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Kenya and others have long driven British marques and kept British traditions of motoring journalism, while their own labels use km/L. A reader in Hong Kong who finds a British review of a car at 44 mpg wants to know how it compares with a local label of 15 km/L. The conversion is a single multiplication, because both units measure distance per volume. To convert MPG (UK) to km/L, multiply by 0.3540: 30 mpg is 10.6 km/L, 45 mpg is 15.9 km/L, 60 mpg is 21.2 km/L and 80 mpg is 28.3 km/L. The gallon is the imperial gallon of 4.546 litres. The calculator above multiplies as you type, and the sections that follow show what the figures mean for British-style cars in Asia and Africa.
Below come the rule with examples, short notes on each unit, a side-by-side look and a long series of cases from the old colonies to the present, ending with the slips people make most. Everything is computed locally in the page. Official figures are laboratory results and the heat and traffic of Asian cities push real consumption up.
How to convert MPG (UK) to km/L: multiply by 0.3540
The rule
A mile is 1.609344 km and an imperial gallon holds 4.54609 litres, which makes one mpg 1.609344 / 4.54609 = 0.354006 km/L. For a “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation, take the mpg times 0.3540: 26 mpg gives 9.20 km/L, 41 gives 14.5 and 66 gives 23.4 km/L. To go the other way, multiply the km/L by 2.8248.
Why a straight multiplier
Both units say how far a vehicle goes on a quantity of fuel, so the ratio is the same across the scale. This differs from the conversion to litres per 100 km, which turns the figure upside down and needs a constant divided by it. Here, doubling the mpg doubles the km/L.
Worked examples
A small saloon at 48 mpg makes 17.0 km/L. A diesel four-wheel drive at 31 mpg makes 11.0 km/L. A hybrid at 72 mpg makes 25.5 km/L, and an old classic at 19 mpg makes 6.73 km/L.
A quick sanity test
Expect the km/L result to be about a third of the mpg figure, 35.4 per cent to be exact. A larger number than you began with means 2.8248 was used where 0.3540 belonged.
MPG (UK)
Miles per imperial gallon
The British unit counts miles per imperial gallon of 4.546 litres. It is the language of British motoring writing and of used-car adverts, and it is still seen in older documents across the Commonwealth.
Where it appears
British magazines, handbooks and used-car adverts.
Kilometres per litre
The Asian and African reference
Distance per litre is the unit of labels in Hong Kong, India and much of Asia. A larger number is better, and price per litre divided by km/L gives the price per kilometre.
Where it appears
Labels, brochures, fleet records and trip logs in Asia and parts of Africa.
UK MPG set beside km/L
Written in kilometres per litre, a British figure shrinks to a third: 20 mpg turns into 7.08 km/L, 50 into 17.7 and 70 into 24.8. Nothing about the car has changed, only the units of distance and volume.
Nothing is lost on the way. The mistake seen most often is the US gallon, which would make the result 17 per cent too small.
Where the conversion shows up
Hong Kong
Hong Kong labels vehicles in km/L and has long had a taste for British cars and Japanese imports. A British estate at 46 mpg is 16.3 km/L, while a local rival is labelled 15.5 km/L. A “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation turns a British review into a number that can sit beside the label.
India and Pakistan
British brands are sold in India with certified mileage in km/L. A sedan with a certified 14 km/L is 39.5 mpg, and a premium SUV at 11 km/L 31.1 mpg. Old British motorcycles sold in the subcontinent were described at 50 to 70 mpg, 17.7 to 24.8 km/L, which compared favourably with local models.
Kenya and East Africa
East African buyers of used British cars read mpg in the adverts of the exporting dealers and km/L in the local press. A 4x4 at 24 mpg is 8.50 km/L. On rough roads this falls to 5 or 6 km/L, 14 to 17 mpg, so the certified figure is a poor guide to the cost of a safari.
Right-hand-drive markets
Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Kenya, Australia and New Zealand drive on the left and share a taste for British cars. Their buyers read the same reviews as British readers. The only difference is the unit on the local label, which is a matter of arithmetic, 0.3540 times the mpg.
Fuel stations and range
A tank of 55 litres at 40 mpg, 14.2 km/L, gives 779 km, and at 28 mpg, 9.91 km/L, 545 km. In dense cities fuel is never far away, but across East Africa or Rajasthan a gap of several hundred kilometres between stations makes range a serious figure.
Reading old British handbooks
British handbooks of the 1960s and 1970s quote consumption in mpg at constant speeds. A saloon at 33 mpg at 56 mph is 11.7 km/L at 90 km/h, and at 27 mpg at 70 mph 9.56 km/L at 113 km/h. Owners in Asia who drive such cars gain a picture of how the speed limit affects the cost.
A worked example
You must choose between a British saloon at 42 mpg and a Japanese one at 16 km/L, both at the same price. The British one is 14.9 km/L, so the Japanese car is 8 per cent better. At 18,000 km a year the British saloon uses 1,210 litres and the Japanese 1,125, a saving of 85 litres. A “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation on the British figure gives the answer.
The mental shortcut
To convert MPG (UK) to km/L without a calculator, take a third of the mpg and add 6 per cent of that. At 40 mpg a third is 13.3, and 6 per cent more is 14.1, close to the exact 14.16. Without the extra 6 per cent the answer is a little low.
Spreadsheet formulas
Put the mpg in column A, then =A2*0.354006 in column B returns km/L, and =B2*2.824809 reverses it. A helper column of =282.481/A2 returns L/100 km, and 100 divided by that should match the km/L figure.
Rounding on labels
British adverts print whole mpg and Asian labels print km/L to one decimal, so 52 mpg is 18.4 km/L rather than 18.408. Tests are good to 3 to 5 per cent, and a second decimal would be false precision.
Landmarks to memorise
Remember that 10 mpg = 3.54 km/L, 20 = 7.08, 30 = 10.6, 40 = 14.2, 50 = 17.7, 60 = 21.2 and 70 = 24.8. With them a mental convert MPG (UK) to km/L takes a moment.
Reference ladder
15 mpg: 5.31 km/L. 24: 8.50. 33: 11.7. 46: 16.3. 58: 20.5. 72: 25.5. With a list of this kind any result can be checked quickly.
Checking by reversing
Test a “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation answer by dividing it by 0.3540: 16.3 km/L gives 46.0 mpg, so the 46 you started from came through intact. A second sign of a good result is that the km/L figure sits near a third of the mpg one.
Link to L/100 km and US mpg
In 40 UK mpg there are 7.06 L/100 km, 14.16 km/L and 33.3 US mpg. The units differ and the consumption does not, so a “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation only relabels it.
Singapore and Malaysia
In Singapore and Malaysia a car's fuel economy appears in L/100 km or km/L depending on the source, and British adverts add mpg. A hatchback at 48 mpg is 17.0 km/L, 5.89 L/100 km. At 1.00 dollar a litre it costs 5.9 cents a kilometre, and a four-wheel drive at 28 mpg, 9.91 km/L, 10.1 cents.
Two routes to one answer
Go straight with 0.3540 times the mpg, or travel via litres per 100 km: 282.481 ÷ mpg, then 100 ÷ that. If the answers drift apart, a digit slipped somewhere.
Hong Kong's fuel economy label
Hong Kong displays a fuel consumption label in km/L for new cars. A British estate at 46 mpg is 16.3 km/L, which would rank well among its petrol rivals. Buyers can compare labels easily, and the conversion lets an enthusiast bring in British figures for a car that is not yet in the showroom.
Buying a car in Kenya
Kenyan buyers import cars from Britain and Japan, and the brochure may show mpg or km/L. A British 1.6 litre hatchback at 44 mpg is 15.6 km/L, and a Japanese one at 17 km/L is 48 mpg. The Japanese car looks better on the page, but the cycles differ, so a test drive and a full-tank check settle the matter.
Fleet buying in India
An Indian company buying vans from a British supplier compares a quoted 33 mpg, 11.7 km/L, with local vans at 13 to 15 km/L. Over 40,000 km a year the British van uses 3,419 litres and a local one at 14 km/L 2,857, a saving of 562 litres, which at 100 rupees a litre is 56,200 rupees.
Tuning and modification
Enthusiasts who fit larger wheels or remap an engine see fuel economy change. A car at 40 mpg, 14.2 km/L, may fall to 36 mpg, 12.7 km/L, with a more aggressive map and bigger tyres. The difference of 1.4 km/L adds 8 litres to every 1,000 km, so the cost is easy to calculate in the local unit.
Speed limits and consumption
The limit on British motorways is 70 mph, 113 km/h, and on many Asian expressways 100 to 110 km/h. A car doing 50 mpg, 17.7 km/L, at 70 mph might do 44 mpg, 15.6 km/L, at 80 mph, 129 km/h. A rise of 14 per cent in speed costs about 12 per cent of fuel economy.
What stays the same
The conversion changes the unit and nothing else. A car that burns 6.28 litres every 100 km does so whether the label says 45 mpg or 15.9 km/L. Any difference you see after converting comes from a different test cycle, a different fuel or a different driver, not from the arithmetic, which is exact.
Tropical climate effects
Heat and humidity make air conditioning run continuously in the tropics. A car at 50 mpg, 17.7 km/L, may show 13 to 15 km/L, 37 to 42 mpg, in daily Asian traffic. Slow stop-start driving adds more, so the certified figure may be 25 to 35 per cent better than reality.
Classic British cars in Asia
Collectors in Asia drive classic Minis, MGs and Jaguars. A Mini at 40 mpg is 14.2 km/L, an MGB at 27 mpg 9.56 km/L, and a Jaguar saloon at 18 mpg 6.37 km/L. The figures are old-cycle estimates, and with carburettors the real numbers vary with tuning and altitude.
British motorbikes
A British 650 cc motorbike returns 55 to 65 mpg, 19.5 to 23.0 km/L, and a 500 cc classic 50 to 60, 17.7 to 21.2. Japanese and Indian small bikes in the same markets return 40 to 70 km/L, so the British ones look thirsty by comparison, though their size and power are in a different class.
Diesel and petrol
A British diesel at 58 mpg is 20.5 km/L and a petrol car at 46 mpg 16.3. In energy terms the diesel is about 12 per cent better, not 26, since a litre of diesel holds 12 per cent more energy. In Asian markets where diesel is cheaper the price advantage is larger still.
Light vans and pickups
A British panel van returns 34 to 42 mpg, 12.0 to 14.9 km/L, and a double-cab pickup 29 to 36, 10.3 to 12.7. Pickups are the commonest work vehicle in Asia and Africa. A buyer weighing a used British pickup against a Japanese one at 12 km/L finds them close in consumption.
Hybrids
A British hybrid at 65 mpg is 23.0 km/L and one at 75 mpg 26.6 km/L. Hybrids are sold in Asia with labels of 20 to 30 km/L, so the British figure fits in at once. The conversion shows that the efficiency of the powertrain is similar, whatever the nationality of the badge.
Fuel economy and tax
Hong Kong taxes new cars by value, and Singapore through a quota system, while neither ties tax to fuel economy. Fuel economy still matters to running costs: at 1.40 dollars a litre, a car at 15.9 km/L costs 8.8 cents a kilometre and one at 10.6 km/L 13.2. The difference of 4.4 cents is 660 dollars over 15,000 km.
More values for convert MPG (UK) to km/L
A longer list of conversions
If the value you need is not in the first list, these further conversions may be close enough to read off directly:
- 3 MPG (UK) = 1.06202 km/L
- 7 MPG (UK) = 2.47804 km/L
- 9 MPG (UK) = 3.18606 km/L
- 12 MPG (UK) = 4.24807 km/L
- 15 MPG (UK) = 5.31009 km/L
- 20 MPG (UK) = 7.08012 km/L
- 35 MPG (UK) = 12.3902 km/L
- 40 MPG (UK) = 14.1602 km/L
Common slips with a “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation
The factor the wrong way round
Going from mpg to km/L cuts the number to a third. If 30 turned into 85, the factor for the opposite direction, 2.8248, was used.
The gallon behind the figure
With the US gallon 30 mpg would be 12.75 km/L, not 10.6. Use the imperial gallon for British figures, and confirm where the advert comes from.
The mean of two figures
The average of two km/L figures does not give the average consumption. Average the litres per 100 km and convert that.
Short answers
How do I convert MPG (UK) to km/L?
Take the UK mpg times 0.3540.
What is 40 UK mpg in km/L?
It is 14.2 km/L.
What is 60 UK mpg in km/L?
It is 21.2 km/L.
What is 15 km/L in UK mpg?
It is 42.4 mpg.
Is my number sent anywhere?
No, everything is computed in the browser.
More pages and a wrap-up
Other fuel-economy conversions are listed in Convert MPG (UK) to L/100km, Convert MPG (UK) to MPG (US), Convert MPG (US) to km/L, Convert L/100km to km/L, Convert km/L to MPG (US), Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C. Going the other way is covered by Convert km/L to MPG (UK).
To sum up, a “convert MPG (UK) to km/L” calculation needs one multiplication by 0.3540 and a unit beside the answer. The figure is worked out on your own device, without registration or upload.