Convert Liters per 100 km to MPG (US)
Liters per 100 km to miles per gallon (US) is the conversion you need when a car's fuel economy is quoted the metric way but you think in American miles per gallon. Here's the twist that trips people up: liters per 100 km measures fuel used per distance, so it's the reverse of mpg. A lower L/100km is better economy, and a lower number turns into a bigger mpg. You divide instead of multiply: mpg (US) = 235.214583 ÷ (L/100km).
Liters per 100 km to Miles per gallon (US) conversion table
| Liters per 100 km (L/100km) | Miles per gallon (US) (mpg (US)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 235.214583 |
| 2 | 117.607292 |
| 3 | 78.404861 |
| 5 | 47.042917 |
| 10 | 23.521458 |
| 20 | 11.760729 |
| 50 | 4.704292 |
| 100 | 2.352146 |
| 500 | 0.470429 |
| 1,000 | 0.235215 |
The formula
Liters per 100 km and miles per gallon point in opposite directions — one counts fuel per distance, the other counts distance per fuel — so you divide rather than multiply. To convert liters per 100 km to US mpg, divide 235.214583 by the L/100km figure:
mpg (US) = 235.214583 ÷ (L/100km)
Because it's a division, a smaller L/100km gives a larger mpg. That's the whole idea: less fuel used per 100 km means more miles squeezed out of each gallon.
A worked example
Say a car is rated at 8 L/100km and you want it in US mpg:
235.214583 ÷ 8 = 29.40 mpg (US)
So 8 L/100km is about 29.40 miles per gallon. Notice the direction — a modest 8 on the metric side becomes a healthy 29.40 on the mpg side, because the two scales run opposite each other.
Why it's an approximation
The 235.214583 constant folds together the miles-to-kilometers and gallons-to-liters conversions, and those underlying numbers don't divide evenly. So the result you get is rounded for everyday use. It's plenty accurate for comparing cars — just don't expect the last decimal to be exact.
It's also worth remembering the gallon question. This page uses the US gallon. The UK (imperial) gallon is about 20% bigger, so the same car reads higher in UK mpg. Make sure you're comparing like with like.
When you'll use it
Reading a European or Asian car's fuel economy and wanting it in US miles per gallon, comparing an imported model against the mpg figures on the window sticker, or making sense of a spec sheet that only lists L/100km.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I divide instead of multiply to get mpg?
Because the two measures run in opposite directions. Liters per 100 km counts fuel used per fixed distance, while miles per gallon counts distance covered per fixed fuel. One is the flip of the other, so you divide 235.214583 by the L/100km figure rather than multiplying. That's why a small L/100km gives a big mpg.
Does a lower liters-per-100km number mean better or worse economy?
Lower is better. Using fewer liters to cover 100 km means the car sips less fuel, so 6 L/100km is more efficient than 9 L/100km. That's the opposite of mpg, where a higher number is better — another reason the two feel backwards to each other.
Is US mpg the same as UK mpg?
No. The US gallon is smaller than the UK (imperial) gallon by about 20%, so the same car scores a higher number in UK mpg than in US mpg. Always check which gallon a figure uses before comparing cars from different markets.