Convert km/L to MPG (UK)
Kilometers per liter to MPG (UK) is the conversion you need when a car's fuel economy is quoted the metric way but you compare cars in imperial miles per gallon. One km/L is approximately 2.824809363 mpg (UK), so the mpg number always comes out larger. Both are 'distance per fuel' figures, so bigger is better either way.
Kilometers per liter to Miles per gallon (UK) conversion table
| Kilometers per liter (km/L) | Miles per gallon (UK) (mpg (UK)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2.824809 |
| 2 | 5.649619 |
| 3 | 8.474428 |
| 5 | 14.124047 |
| 10 | 28.248094 |
| 20 | 56.496187 |
| 50 | 141.240468 |
| 100 | 282.480936 |
| 500 | 1,412.404682 |
| 1,000 | 2,824.809363 |
The formula
To convert kilometers per liter to miles per gallon (UK), multiply the km/L figure by 2.824809363:
mpg (UK) = km/L × 2.824809363
A worked example
Say a car does 15 km/L and you want that in imperial miles per gallon:
15 × 2.824809363 = 42.37 mpg (UK)
So 15 km/L is about 42.37 mpg (UK).
Why it's an approximation
The factor 2.824809363 is a rounded value. It comes from stacking two conversions that don't divide evenly: a mile and a kilometer, and an imperial gallon and a liter. Because none of those line up in whole numbers, the combined factor stays approximate — 2.824809363 is the practical number to use, and extra decimal places only add precision.
Keep in mind this is the UK (imperial) gallon, which is about 20% larger than the US gallon. That size difference is why the same km/L figure converts to a higher mpg number in UK figures than in US ones. If you're comparing quotes, make sure you know which gallon each one uses.
When you'll use it
Comparing a car's metric fuel economy against the imperial miles-per-gallon figures used in the UK, reading an overseas spec sheet, or checking a listing that quotes economy in UK MPG.
Frequently asked questions
How many UK MPG is 1 km/L?
About 2.824809363 mpg (UK). It's a rounded figure, because a mile and a kilometer, and a gallon and a liter, don't divide evenly — so multiply your km/L by roughly 2.824809363 to get UK MPG.
Why is the UK MPG number higher than the US MPG number for the same km/L?
Because the imperial (UK) gallon is bigger — about 20% larger than the US gallon. Fitting more fuel into a 'gallon' means the same fuel economy converts to a higher mpg number in UK figures than in US figures.
Is the km/L to MPG (UK) conversion exact?
No. The factor 2.824809363 is rounded, since the mile, kilometer, gallon, and liter don't line up in whole numbers. More decimal places give you more precision if you need it.