Engine Idling Fuel Calculator

Calculate fuel and money wasted while idling in traffic, drive-thrus, or warming up your vehicle.

Calculator Parameters

Distance unit
Fuel economy unit
$per liter

This is an estimated default price. Automatic price detection only applies to visitors in the United States. Everyone else can select their own currency and enter a local price below for an accurate result.

Currency

Enter total travelers to split gas cost fairly.

Trip type
Timeframe

Your Calculation Results

High Consumption (> 8.5 L/100km)
Total Fuel Needed (for this trip)
1.50 liters
(1.5 liters total)
Total Fuel Cost (for this trip)
$2.25
Cost breakdown per distance unit
$0.362 per mile • $0.225 per km
Total Distance (for this trip)
10.0 kilometers

Fuel economy in every unit

L/100km
15.0
MPG US
15.7
MPG UK
18.8
km/L
6.7

Idling Fuel Consumption Facts

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Over a year, idling for just 15 minutes a day burns up to 30 gallons of gas unnecessarily, costing drivers $100 to $150 in wasted fuel.

Vehicle TypeEngine DisplacementIdle Burn Rate (GPH)Idle Cost Per Hour ($3.50/gal)
Compact Sedan1.8L - 2.0L 4-Cyl0.20 GPH$0.70 / hour
Midsize SUV3.5L V60.40 GPH$1.40 / hour
Full-Size Pickup / V85.3L - 6.2L V80.65 GPH$2.28 / hour
Commercial Diesel Semi13.0L - 15.0L Diesel0.90 GPH$3.42 / hour ($3.80/gal)

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Frequently asked questions

A passenger sedan burns 0.2 to 0.4 gallons (0.8 to 1.5 liters) per hour idling. Large V8 engines and trucks burn 0.5 to 1.0 gallon per hour idling.

Modern fuel-injected engines use very little fuel to start up (equivalent to about 7 to 10 seconds of idling). If you stop for more than 10 seconds, turning off the engine saves fuel and reduces wear.

Yes. Prolonged idling causes incomplete fuel combustion, leading to fuel dilution in engine oil, carbon buildup on spark plugs, and premature catalytic converter degradation.