Fuel Trip Cost Calculator

How it works

Fuel: gallons = miles ÷ MPG (or litres = km × L/100 km ÷ 100, or km ÷ km/L) · cost = fuel × price · Electric: kWh = distance × kWh per 100 ÷ 100 × (1 + charging losses) · cost = kWh × price per kWh · total distance = trip × 2 (round trip) + extra legs · per person = (energy cost + tolls + parking) ÷ people

The calculator turns the route length into fuel or electricity, then into money. Distance is the one-way trip, doubled if you drive back the same way, plus any extra legs you list (a detour, a side trip, driving around at the destination). For a gas or diesel car it divides the distance by your fuel economy — or multiplies by litres per 100 km, the way most of the world quotes it — and multiplies the fuel by the pump price. UK miles per gallon use the 4.546-litre imperial gallon, so 33.6 mpg (UK) is the same car as 28 mpg (US). For an electric car it multiplies the distance by the kWh per 100 miles or km and by your electricity price, optionally blending in a share of public fast charging, which usually costs two to three times home electricity. Tolls, parking and other shared costs are added before the split, so every passenger’s share covers the whole trip. The price and efficiency tables show how much the answer moves if gas is 50 cents dearer or the car does 10% worse loaded with luggage.

Worked example

A 400-mile trip at 28 MPG uses 400 ÷ 28 = 14.3 gallons. At $3.50 per gallon that is $50.00 in gas — $25.00 each with two people sharing, or about $0.125 per mile. Make it a round trip and it doubles to 800 miles and $100.00 ($50.00 each). The same 400 miles in an electric car using 30 kWh per 100 miles takes 120 kWh; at $0.17 per kWh at home that is $20.40, but charging half of it at a $0.45 fast charger raises it to $37.20.

Sources: fueleconomy.gov — Trip Calculator and fuel economy data (US DOE / EPA) · US EPA — Greenhouse gas emissions from a typical passenger vehicle (8,887 g CO₂ per gallon of gasoline)

Frequently asked questions