Fuel Tank Range Calculator
Calculate how far you can drive on a full tank.
Enter your tank size and fuel efficiency to find your maximum driving range.
Fuel tank range tells you how far your vehicle can travel on a full tank, and how far is left from whatever the gauge is reading now.
Core formulas: Maximum Range = Tank Capacity × Fuel Efficiency Current Range = Maximum Range × Current Tank Level %
Metric conversions: Range (km) = Tank Capacity (liters) × Fuel Efficiency (km/L) With L/100km instead: Range (km) = Tank Capacity ÷ (L/100km) × 100 Converting the two: MPG = 235.2 ÷ (L/100km)
For the cost of filling up, or the cost of a specific trip, use the Fuel Cost Calculator instead. This page deals only in distance.
Typical fuel tank sizes by vehicle class:
| Vehicle Type | Tank Size (gallons) | Typical MPG | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subcompact car | 10–12 gal | 35–40 MPG | 350–480 miles |
| Midsize sedan | 14–16 gal | 28–35 MPG | 390–560 miles |
| Full-size SUV | 22–26 gal | 18–24 MPG | 396–624 miles |
| Pickup truck | 24–36 gal | 16–22 MPG | 384–792 miles |
| Hybrid sedan | 11–13 gal | 50–60 MPG | 550–780 miles |
Worked example: A compact SUV with a 14 US gallon tank, averaging 32 MPG, gauge sitting at 25%.
Maximum range = 14 × 32 = 448 miles (721 km) Fuel on board = 14 × 25% = 3.5 gallons Current range = 3.5 × 32 = 112 miles (180 km)
Treat the last quarter tank as smaller than it looks. Fuel gauges are not linear, and most read optimistically in the top half and pessimistically near empty, because the float arm sweeps an irregularly shaped tank. The low-fuel light usually comes on with 1.5 to 3 gallons left, which is deliberately conservative. Running the tank to fumes also stirs up whatever sediment has settled at the bottom and pushes it into the fuel filter, and on older cars the in-tank pump relies on surrounding fuel to stay cool. Plan on refuelling at about 85% of the number above, which is what the tip in the result does for you.
One more thing the arithmetic cannot know: the efficiency figure you enter is almost certainly a mixed or best-case number. A tank spent towing, or spent in city traffic in January, can come in 30% short of the range shown here.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.