Are T-engines fuel efficient?
2 Answers
Engines with a turbocharger (commonly referred to as "T-engines") are not fuel efficient; in fact, they tend to consume more fuel. Here are the reasons why T-engines are less fuel efficient: 1. Turbocharging (commonly known as "T"): A turbocharger pumps more air into the cylinders, which, combined with a proportional amount of fuel, significantly increases engine power. However, this also raises the working pressure and temperature in the cylinders, making the engine more prone to knocking. 2. After adding a turbocharger to a naturally aspirated engine: To control knocking, the compression ratio must be reduced, and the ignition timing must be adjusted to stabilize the combustion conditions in the cylinders. These adjustments lead to a decrease in combustion efficiency and an increase in fuel consumption.
I'm an office worker who commutes daily in a 1.5T compact car, and I find turbocharged engines are indeed more fuel-efficient. During stop-and-go city driving, the turbocharger helps the small-displacement engine deliver more power, unlike naturally aspirated engines that used to guzzle fuel terribly in traffic jams. However, this depends heavily on driving habits – if I get impatient and floor the accelerator frequently, the turbo spooling up actually consumes extra fuel, making it less efficient than maintaining steady speeds. I remember one long trip where highway driving brought fuel consumption down to about 6L/100km, but just half an hour of traffic on the return journey shot it up to over 8L. So I believe turbo engines save fuel conditionally – they work best with smooth driving and regular maintenance, otherwise turbo repairs can be costly. Overall, it's more eco-friendly and economical than naturally aspirated engines with equivalent power output. I save several hundred yuan monthly on fuel – totally worth it!
