Route optimisation savings calculator: fuel, costs and CO₂
Every kilometre your vehicles don't drive saves fuel and emissions. See what shorter routes mean for your fleet.
This is your estimate, not a promise. The real saving depends on how dense your area is, your time windows and how well you plan today.
Fuel cost saving: €4,579
per year · €382 per month
CO₂ saving: 6 t
per year · 462 kg per month
Fuel saving: 2,091 l
per year · 174 l per month
Distance saving: 19,008 km
less per year · 1,584 km per month
How we work it out
5 vehicles × 120 km × 22 days = 13,200 km a month. Save 12 % of that and you drive 1,584 km less, using 174 l less and emitting 462 kg less CO₂ a month.
What the calculator works out
It starts with the distance you drive: vehicles × kilometres per day × working days gives your monthly mileage. Your expected saving is applied to that figure, and fuel, costs and CO₂ follow from the kilometres saved.
The distance saving is a slider, not a fixed number, and that's deliberate. No one can honestly promise that route optimisation always saves a set percentage. It depends too much on the business. Instead, the calculator shows you what different assumptions would mean for your fleet.
The emission factors
Burning fuel produces {diesel} g CO₂ per litre of diesel and {petrol} g per litre of petrol. These figures come from Directive 80/1268/EEC and are also used by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (German Federal Motor Transport Authority). For electric vehicles, the calculator uses {strom} g CO₂ per kWh, the average German electricity mix for 2025 according to the German Environment Agency.
The calculation is <strong>Tank-to-Wheel</strong>: it counts the direct emissions while driving. It leaves out the emissions from producing and supplying the fuel (Well-to-Tank), so a full Well-to-Wheel figure would be higher.
Only these three factors are verified. Everything else in the calculator is an <strong>assumption you can change</strong>: consumption, fuel price and the expected distance saving. Fuel prices in particular change daily and from region to region, so enter your own figures for a reliable result.
Why fewer kilometres pay off twice
Fewer kilometres don't just cut your fuel bill. They also mean less wear and maintenance, room for more destinations in the same shift, and more on-time arrivals for your customers.
If you work for councils, there's another benefit: tenders increasingly ask for emissions figures. A traceable calculation based on recognised factors carries more weight there than a rough estimate.
Which tool plans the best routes?
The honest answer: there's no perfect tool. An algorithm works out in seconds what would take a person hours. But it doesn't know your patch. It doesn't know that the access road is jammed every morning, that one customer likes to be the last delivery, or that one of your drivers is much quicker in a certain neighbourhood than anyone else. On points like these, experience beats any optimisation.
So the best results come from using both. In xRouten you first let the algorithm optimise your routes, then look at them from above on the map, compare options side by side and step in where you know better. Move destinations, redraw areas and change the order until the route fits your business, not just the formula. The result is consistently better than planning by hand and better than trusting automation blindly.
Financially, it's usually an easy call: the route planner costs €25 a month billed annually (€30 if you pay monthly and cancel any time). That covers unlimited routes and addresses, however many vehicles you plan for. So the cost stays the same while the benefit grows with every vehicle you add. Compare that with the fuel saving the calculator above shows for your fleet. It usually pays for itself in the first month.
What this calculation can't do
- Consumption and fuel price are guide values. Enter your real figures for a reliable result.
- Assuming distance and consumption rise in a straight line is a simplification. Load, hills, traffic and driving style all have an effect too.
- It doesn't replace a verified GHG report under the GHG Protocol or CSRD.
FAQs
How much CO₂ is produced per litre of diesel?
Burning a litre of diesel produces around 2,650 grams of CO₂, and a litre of petrol around 2,320 grams. The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt uses the same factors, based on Directive 80/1268/EEC. For electricity, the calculator uses 344 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt hour, the German electricity mix for 2025 according to the German Environment Agency.
How much does route optimisation really save?
There's no honest one-size-fits-all answer. That's why the distance saving in this calculator is a slider, not a fixed value. What's realistic depends on how dense your area is, how tight your time windows are and how well you plan today. If you've been planning by hand in Excel, you'll usually have more room to improve than a business with well-established fixed routes.
Does the calculator include emissions from producing the fuel?
No. It calculates the direct emissions from burning fuel (Tank-to-Wheel). Emissions from extracting, refining and transporting the fuel (Well-to-Tank) aren't included, so a full Well-to-Wheel figure would be higher.
Why is the fuel price different from what I pay?
Fuel prices change daily and from region to region. The default is just a guide, so enter the price you actually pay for a reliable result.
Can I use the result for tenders or sustainability reports?
Yes, as a guide to the order of magnitude. But the calculator doesn't replace a verified greenhouse gas report under the GHG Protocol or CSRD. For that you need consumption data for each vehicle and a recognised accounting method.