SpeedDrain
Road Trip Gas · Cost Per Passenger · MPG & L/100km · Vehicle Benchmarks

Fuel Cost Calculator

Plan road trips, calculate gas expenses, split fuel bills with friends, and compare fuel efficiency across vehicle classes.

Units:
Presets:
miles
Total route: 240 miles
MPG
Higher is better (mpg)
$
Local pump price per gallon
people
Divides fuel expense equally
Total Trip Fuel Cost
$30.43
For 240 miles
Cost Per Person (4 pax)
$7.61
Each passenger's equal share
Total Fuel Volume
8.57 gallons
Consumed over the trip
Cost Per mile
$0.13
Operating fuel cost per unit

Fuel Cost Comparison by Vehicle Class (240 miles)

Hybrid Car (50 MPG)
$17.04
4.8 gallons
Sedan (32 MPG)
$26.63
7.5 gallons
Compact SUV (24 MPG)
$35.50
10.0 gallons
Pickup Truck (17 MPG)
$50.12
14.1 gallons

Automotive Fuel Economy & Trip Budgeting

MPG vs. Liters per 100km (The Illusion)

In the US, efficiency is stated in Miles per Gallon (MPG), whereas most of the world uses Liters per 100 km (L/100km).

Economists call MPG a cognitive trap: upgrading from 14 MPG to 20 MPG saves 2.14 gallons every 100 miles, while upgrading from 35 MPG to 50 MPG only saves 0.86 gallons!

Cost Per Passenger Fairness

Carpooling drastically shrinks per-capita travel costs. A $200 round trip shared among 4 passengers costs just $50 per person—cheaper than train or budget airline tickets.

Drivers frequently exclude vehicle depreciation and tolls, so splitting fuel evenly is standard etiquette among travelers.

Highway Speed & Aerodynamic Drag

Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of velocity.

Driving at 75 mph (120 km/h) consumes approximately 15% to 20% more fuel than cruising at 60 mph (97 km/h), directly increasing the overall trip cost.