How many miles per gallon does the average car use?

Find out the latest government-sourced statistics on fuel consumption and sales, and the results of our survey on fuel consumption.

Quick Stats

• The average Australian respondent pays $68.94 to refill their car, however this rises by 64% (to $113.02) for 4x4 drivers.
• Passenger vehicles that run on diesel cost an average of $97.78 to refuel, according to our survey
• 44% of Australians surveyed would consider replacing their car with something more fuel efficient if petrol prices rose by $1 per litre
• Over 30% of Australians surveyed refuel their primary, everyday car at least once a week.

When fuel prices can vary by upwards of 20% within a week, the economy and consumption of our cars can wildly impact our expenses. But as prices continue to generally rise, are we changing our habits and fuel consumption? Or simply resigned to paying more at the pump?

To find out, we’ve collected the latest available government-sourced data, and surveyed 954 Australians through Pure Profile, 18+ who own a registered vehicle.

1.0 Types of Fuel

Regular unleaded petrol (known in the industry as ‘RULP’) is usually the cheapest unleaded fuel option for petrol cars. The low research octane number (RON) means that fuel cannot withstand as much compression in the engine before igniting, meaning it usually offers less overall power to the car. This can therefore lead to slightly lower performance, and/or lower fuel economy than other fuel options.

The middle-of-the-road option for buyers of unleaded petrol, this balanced fuel will offer slightly improved performance, but usually for a slightly higher price than <95 RON. Fuel in this class and above are usually referred to as premium unleaded petrol, or ‘PULP’.

This is usually the highest tier of ‘PULP’ available on the Australian market, and typically offers both the best performance, and best economy rates. Unsurprisingly, it’s also the most expensive to consumers.

This hybrid approach uses 10% ethanol, mixed with 90% unleaded fuel. Generally this will be a blend with RULP (<95 RON fuel), but will occasionally be mixed with PULP (>95 RON fuel). In NSW, the ethanol component is regularly sourced by fermenting the starch byproduct of wheat production, making it more sustainable and more renewable than fuels sourced from crude oil[1].

Typically regarded as the ‘tougher’ fuel, diesel operates entirely differently to petrol. Due to diesel being less naturally combustive, air is pressurised in the cylinders prior to the fuel being injected. When diesel is introduced, it instantly combusts at a typically higher temperature, creating more force than petrol engines can manage from the same amount of fuel. The results of this mean that diesels typically produce more CO2 emissions than petrol counterparts, but will usually last longer, and produce greater torque[2].

Known to most as LPG, some (but few) Australian cars still run on this gas-based fuel option. Many cars on Australian roads can convert to this uncommon fuel alternative, and those that do may notice they’re paying less for fuel (owing to typically lower prices). It’s also said to be kinder on your engine, helping to increase longevity. However, decreased efficiency is a common side-effect of LPG[3].

2.0 Government-Sourced Fuel Consumption Statistics

2.1 Fuel Sales by State and Territory, 2021[4]

Queensland had the highest rate of diesel sales in Australia during 2021, possibly being contributed to by farming and agricultural equipment. Of the data available, New South Wales had by far the highest sales of ethanol-blended fuel, selling over 1,000 megalitres in 2021. Victoria had Australia’s highest sales of <95 regular unleaded petrol (RULP), selling almost 2,700ML. 

2.2 Average Fuel Consumption By Type of Vehicle, 2020[5]

Before it was discontinued, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) release on fuel consumption showed that in 2020, passenger vehicles in Australia used 11.1L/100km on average. Motorcycles used fuel at roughly half this rate, averaging 6.1L/100km. Commercial vehicles typically used far greater amounts of fuel, going as high as 53.1L/100km for articulated trucks.

2.3 Fuel consumption by type of fuel, 2020[5]

Data from the ABS show that diesels averaged far higher litres per 100km than petrol vehicles in 2020. However, as table 2.4 will show, this owed mostly to the saturation of diesels being used in commercial applications (for heavier vehicles).

2.4 Total fuel used in Australia by vehicle type, 2020[5]

Passenger vehicles used almost 4x as much petrol as they did diesel back in 2020. On the other hand, freight carrying vehicles used almost 8x as much diesel as they did petrol. This explains the odd economy rates of diesel shown in 2.3.

3.0 Fuel Economy Survey Results

3.1 Almost 50% of Australian respondents use either unleaded 91, or unleaded 95 in their everyday car

What fuel does your primary, everyday car usually take?

Almost 90% of Australians surveyed use a form of petroleum, compared to roughly 10% that use diesel in their primary, everyday car. 16% of all respondents use petroleum with a blend of ethanol.

By asking what class of car their primary, everyday car is in a screening question, we could identify correlations between the fuel used, and what participants drive. Those who own 4x4s or utes were far less likely to use petrol, with over 50% of each using diesel. Strangely, participants who drive a wagon as their primary car had the highest rates (20.9%) of using ethanol-blended fuel.

Going state-by-state, Queensland-based respondents had the highest rates (21.4%) of using ethanol-blended fuel. Participants in New South Wales were the most likely to strictly buy 98 RON fuel (27.0%), and Western Australians were the most likely to use diesel (14.3%).

3.2 Australians surveyed pay an average of $68.94 every time they refill their everyday car

How much would you usually pay to refuel your primary, everyday car?

By averaging all results from all our 954 participants, the average cost to refill a car in 2022 was $68.94. Hatchback drivers averaged just $55.93 to refill, compared to a whopping $113.02 average for 4x4 drivers.

Unsurprisingly, participants who run on E10 fuel averaged lower refill costs than any other oil-based fuel user - paying an average of $63.54 to refuel. Diesel drivers averaged a far greater $97.78 every time they refuel. However, participants who run their car on electricity or LPG averaged just $33.33 to top their car up.

3.3 Over 70% of Australia respondents refuel their primary, everyday car at least once a fortnight

Which timeframe best describes how often you would refuel your primary, everyday car?

As the most common response, 40.9% of our Australian respondents said they refill their primary, everyday car once a fortnight. Participants who drive diesel vehicles seem to have the lowest refueling rates, with less than 30% filling up at least once a week. This could be due to a lot of diesel vehicles having larger fuel tanks than petrol cars. Also, considering the near 50% increase in cost to refill the tank between petrol and diesel cars (from Q3.2), it is still most likely that diesel drivers spend more on fuel than their petrol counterparts.

3.4 Almost 35% of Australian respondents believe they use less fuel now than they did 12 months ago (compared to just 11% that use more)

How much fuel do you use now, compared to 12 months ago?

Our Australian respondents averaged a score of 2.81 out of 5, meaning they averaged a slight decrease in the amount of fuel they use now (compared to 12 months ago). This could be due to reduced need for driving, or the recent rises in fuel prices.

A clear trend emerges between the ages of respondents, and their fuel habits. Older participants were far more likely to notice a decline in the amount of fuel they’re using, with those over 65 averaging 2.54 out of 5. In contrast, younger participants (18-24) averaged a score of 3.17, indicating they’re using slightly more fuel now than they did 12 months ago.

In terms of the class of car, the most noticeable finding was regarding ute drivers. Our results showed that their average was the lowest by a significant margin, indicating they have reduced their fuel consumption by more than any other kind of driver in the last 12 months.

This matches results when comparing types of fuel. Participants using diesel noticed their consumption has reduced by more than petrol drivers.

3.5 Over 50% of Australian respondents aged 18-44 would consider replacing their car for something more fuel efficient if prices rose by $1/L

If fuel prices were to rise by $1 per litre, would you consider replacing your car with something more fuel efficient, or electric?

It seems that a rise of $1/L would be enough for almost half of our Australian survey participants to reconsider what car they drive. Younger participants seemed the most susceptible to fuel prices, with over 50% of participants aged between 18 and 44 saying they’d consider their options in the event of a $1/L price rise. Older participants seemed less inclined to consider their car options.

Queenslanders were the least likely to consider their options from our participants, with over 60% saying they wouldn’t bother considering selling or trading their car. Tasmanians were the most responsive, with over 50% admitting a $1/L rise in fuel prices would have them considering what they drive.

Despite higher-than-average costs at the bowser, respondents who drive utes or 4x4s were the least likely to consider something less thirsty on fuel. This could be due to needing a specific class of vehicle, for either work or recreational purposes.

4.0 Key Findings

Larger, Diesel-Fueled Vehicles Cost More at the Bowser

4x4s ($113.02) and utes ($86.54) averaged the highest value to refuel - mostly likely due to having larger fuel tanks than hatchbacks or sedans. However, their rate of refueling often wasn’t infrequent enough to make this worthwhile. Almost 20% of utes are refuelled multiple times each week, compared to 10% of sedans or 6% of hatchbacks. Whether it’s due to commercial requirements, lower fuel economy, or simply the higher cost of diesel (compared to RULP), owning utes and 4-wheel-drives seems to correlate with far higher fuel costs.

Australians are Driving Less Than They Did 12 Months Ago

Compared to a statistically insignificant average of 3/5 in Q3.4, Australians in our survey averaged 2.81 - indicating a slight decline in the amount of fuel being used.

A Price Rise of $1/L Would Significantly Change What Cars Australians Own

Nearly 44% of our participants would consider replacing what car they drive if prices rose by another dollar per litre. This was particularly prominent for participants 18-44, who would make up a very strong portion of drivers on Australian roads.

It’s highly likely that within a few years, cars and fuels with more emphasis on reduced consumption will spike in popularity.

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