General
Fuel Cost Calculator
Works fuel cost for a journey, where real consumption differs from the rating.
Result
Fuel is only part of vehicle cost. Maintenance, tyres, insurance and depreciation typically add as much again, so use this for fuel budgeting rather than full vehicle cost.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Distance divided by fuel economy gives the volume needed, multiplied by the price per unit gives the cost. The economy figure is the sensitive input, since published ratings are measured under test conditions and real-world consumption is generally worse, particularly in cold weather, heavy traffic or with a loaded vehicle.
What moves the number
- Actual fuel economy rather than the published rating.
- Fuel price, which varies by location.
- Load, towing and roof carriers.
- Driving conditions and speed.
Where this one goes wrong
Measuring your own economy over several full tanks gives a figure far more useful than the published rating, since real consumption depends on the vehicle's condition, the load and how it is driven, and the gap can be substantial. Measure it. Speed is the factor people underrate: consumption rises steeply at higher speeds because aerodynamic drag increases with the square of speed, which makes a modest speed reduction a real saving on a long journey.
Before you quote
- Measure your own economy over several tanks.
- Account for load, towing and roof carriers.
- Note that consumption rises steeply with speed.
Questions
About this calculator
Why is my fuel economy worse than the rating?
Published ratings are measured under test conditions, and real consumption depends on the vehicle's condition, the load, the weather and how it is driven. Measuring your own over several full tanks gives a far more useful figure.
Does speed affect fuel cost much?
More than people expect, because aerodynamic drag rises with the square of speed. Consumption climbs steeply at higher speeds, which makes a modest reduction a real saving on a long journey rather than a marginal one.
What else changes consumption?
Load, towing and anything on the roof, which affects drag disproportionately. Tyre pressure, cold weather and short journeys where the engine never warms up all cost measurable amounts, and all of them are under the driver's control.
The formula
fuel used × price per unit = trip cost
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How to use this calculator
- Distance per trip. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 45.
- Distance unit. Enter your own figure; the page starts at Miles.
- Fuel economy. Miles per gallon, or litres per 100 km if you pick kilometres.
- Fuel price ($). Per gallon, or per litre for metric.
- Trips per week. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 20.
- Vehicles. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 3.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to cost per trip, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance per trip | 45 |
| Distance unit | Miles |
| Fuel economy | 18 |
| Fuel price | $3.6 |
| Trips per week | 20 |
| Vehicles | 3 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost per trip main result | $9.00 |
| Cost per week (fleet) | $540 |
| Cost per year (fleet) | $28,080 |
| Fuel used per trip | 2.5 |
Each trip costs $9.00 in fuel. Across 3 vehicles doing 20 trips a week, that is $28,080 a year.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only fuel price, this is what happens to cost per trip. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Fuel price ($) | Cost per trip |
|---|---|
| $1.8 | $4.50 |
| $2.7 | $6.75 |
| $3.6 example above | $9.00 |
| $5.4 | $13.50 |
| $7.2 | $18.00 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Distance per trip
- A number, starting at 45.
- Distance unit
- Choose from Miles, Kilometres.
- Fuel economy
- Miles per gallon, or litres per 100 km if you pick kilometres.
- Fuel price ($)
- Per gallon, or per litre for metric.
- Trips per week
- A number, between 0 and 10000, starting at 20.
- Vehicles
- A number, between 0 and 10000, starting at 3.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cost per trip | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Cost per week (fleet) | A money figure. |
| Cost per year (fleet) | A money figure. |
| Fuel used per trip | A number. |
Keep going
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