Fuel Consumption Spreadsheet

[Orf]

I have created a Prius fuel consumption and cost recording Excel spreadsheet. At present it is designed to record in dollars ($), litres and kilometers with an output in L/100km and for comparison, US MPG.
I am looking at expanding the spreadsheet to cover other numbering systems.
I know that Europe uses Euros and litres but how do you measure fuel consumption? Is it L/100km or km/L?
Am I correct in assuming that Britain uses a hybrid system - L/mile, or is it gallons/km? To save me time, what is the conversion rate to L and km?
I know the US uses US gallons and miles so I do not need info on that system.
Are there any other systems that I have not mentioned?
If it is easy to expand my spreadsheet to encompass the lot I will by giving a selectable choice. If not, I will consider separate spreadsheets.
The spreadsheet is well documented and made easy to use.

[Tideland Prius]

I believe they use L/100km. Only Japan uses km/L IIRC.

Oh and UK uses mpg

[Oxo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 20 2006, 02:32 AM) [snapback]306183[/snapback]</div>

Oh and UK uses mpg
[/b]

Yes, but petrol is sold in litres and always priced per litre. Also the price varies with location. Here about 40 miles to the west of London I paid £0.979 when I last filled in July but I heard someone say they'd seen £1 per litre somewhere in Wales. To calculate my mpg I have to convert the litres into gallons. To convert price per litre into price per gallon, multiply by 4.54596 (97.9 p is £4.45 a gallon. 10 years ago it was £2.86 a gallon)

[Orf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 20 2006, 02:32 AM) [snapback]306183[/snapback]</div>

I believe they use L/100km. Only Japan uses km/L IIRC.
[/b]

That means my current spreadsheet is suitable for the European continent except for changing the $ sign to the €. That will be easily done.

[Orf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Aug 20 2006, 05:07 AM) [snapback]306198[/snapback]</div>

Yes, but petrol is sold in litres and always priced per litre. Also the price varies with location. Here about 40 miles to the west of London I paid £0.979 when I last filled in July but I heard someone say they'd seen £1 per litre somewhere in Wales. To calculate my mpg I have to convert the litres into gallons. To convert price per litre into price per gallon, multiply by 4.54596 (97.9 p is £4.45 a gallon. 10 years ago it was £2.86 a gallon)
[/b]

Well now, the British version creates quite a dilemma.
One question. Does the MFD show litres or gallons? I assume it displays miles.
If petrol is sold in litres then the spreadsheet should input the quantity and price of fuel in litres. The distance input should be the same as the MFD.
If the readout is required in MPG then the spreadsheet will calculate and chart MPG.
As far as keeping track of fuel price, the spreadsheet will have to chart the price per litre and the cost per tankful against ₤.
Does anyone want to have the fuel cost charted as gallons and ₤.
The Prius being a hybrid car should feel completely at home in Britain with their hybrid numbering system.
In the distorted words of a well known saying: "Oh what a mess, Great Britain."
Thanks you both for the info so far.

[Orf]

Could someone please tell me the range of prices in euros for a litre of petrol in Europe? I need the information to set up the scale for the Price Chart.

[Oxo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Orf @ Aug 20 2006, 09:35 PM) [snapback]306499[/snapback]</div>

Well now, the British version creates quite a dilemma.
One question. Does the MFD show litres or gallons? I assume it displays miles.
If petrol is sold in litres then the spreadsheet should input the quantity and price of fuel in litres. The distance input should be the same as the MFD.
If the readout is required in MPG then the spreadsheet will calculate and chart MPG.
As far as keeping track of fuel price, the spreadsheet will have to chart the price per litre and the cost per tankful against ?.
Does anyone want to have the fuel cost charted as gallons and ?.
The Prius being a hybrid car should feel completely at home in Britain with their hybrid numbering system.
In the distorted words of a well known saying: "Oh what a mess, Great Britain."
Thanks you both for the info so far.
[/b]

The MFD shows gallons and miles. Presumably these are Imperial gallons, but I've never checked.

I keep a simple spreadsheet which calculates and shows MPG with each fill, so I can compare this with various readings on the MFD (I usually reset it for my longer journeys - I don't wait for an automatic reset). You seem to be creating a very complex spreadsheet. Petrol prices in Europe are likely to vary accortding to the retailer as well as the region. Small outlets often reduce the price against the prices on the big dealers nearby. Some people will drive for miles just to buy their fuel at a penny a litre cheaper!(I suppose these are the same people who will drive 6 miles to deliver a letter rather than trust it to the Post Office).
Hybrid numbering systems exist elsewhere too. I bet Americans use 35mm film and size petrol engines in litres, not cubic inches. And their pharmacists use grams and mgs!

[Orf]

Thank you for the info Oxo and no the spreadsheet is not complex but complete and easy to use.
On the main fill up sheet it will have cells to enter the MFD fuel consumption figure in MPG, the ODO reading in miles, the number of litres added and the cost per litre. The date is automatically entered. All these entries are used for calculations.

There are other cells for input of data such as petrol type, temperature (are you still ºF or have you changed to ºC?), distance after blink and comments. All these entries are for info only and are not used in any calculations.

On another sheet, other car expenses from initial purchase price to insurance and maintenance details can be input for record purposes. Apart from totalling costs, these entries play no part in the two charts that are produced.

On the main fill up sheet, there will be columns for the conversion of litres to gallons, the fuel consumption (FC) per fill up in MPG, lifetime FC in MPG, distance per fill up in mile, total fuel used in gallons and cost per fill up in £. For comparison with US readers' posts, I have included two columns with US FC in MPG and US lifetime FC.

There will be a fuel consumption chart that compares the MFD reading with the FC per fill up and the lifetime FC in graphical format.

There will be another chart that graphs the cost per fill up and price per litre. This chart allows easy observation of how costs escalate over time.

I already have most of this operating and it will only need minor modification to encompass what I have detailed above.

[Oxo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Orf @ Aug 22 2006, 06:22 PM) [snapback]307877[/snapback]</div>

There are other cells for input of data such as petrol type, temperature (are you still ºF or have you changed to ºC?), distance after blink and comments. All these entries are for info only and are not used in any calculations.

[/b]

It may not seem complex to you but it is to me because I'm by no means a spreadsheet expert although I think a modern spreadsheet is a most elegant piece of software and I enjoy designing simple ones within my reach.

I think the answer to your question is that the UK has changed to Celsius but many older (old-fashioned?) people still think in Fahrenheit. TV and radio forecasts always give Celsius figures prominently but the presenter will often give the F figure as an aside.

[Orf]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Aug 23 2006, 03:37 AM) [snapback]308112[/snapback]</div>

It may not seem complex to you but it is to me because I'm by no means a spreadsheet expert although I think a modern spreadsheet is a most elegant piece of software and I enjoy designing simple ones within my reach.
I think the answer to your question is that the UK has changed to Celsius but many older (old-fashioned?) people still think in Fahrenheit. TV and radio forecasts always give Celsius figures prominently but the presenter will often give the F figure as an aside.
[/b]

I am toooo old to be elegant in my design. I started writing computer programs in 1965 and have got worse ever since. The spreadsheet works and to me that is all that matters. No that is not correct, the number one aim is it has to be simple to use.
Thanks to you I now have enough information to go ahead an try to produce a UK model.