Does turning on the air conditioning in a small car consume more fuel?
2 Answers
When a small car turns on the air conditioning for cooling, it increases fuel consumption, but using the heater does not increase fuel consumption. 1. Small car cold air: The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant to liquefy and then vaporize it. When the cold air is turned on, the compressor pulley drives the compressor to work, increasing the engine load and consuming a certain amount of fuel. 2. Small car heater: The heat generated by the engine's cooling system is sent into the car through a fan, forming warm air. When the heater is not in use, the fan stops, the hot air vent closes, and the heat is completely dissipated into the atmosphere. The car heater is a form of waste heat reuse and does not consume fuel.
I usually drive a small car, and using the AC in summer does increase fuel consumption a bit. Both the compressor and the fan require power from the engine, so the engine has to burn more gasoline to support them, which is why the fuel gauge drops faster. In city driving with frequent stops and starts, it's more noticeable, possibly increasing fuel consumption by 10% to 20%. On the highway, it's less, around 5% to 10%, because the speed is steady. To save fuel, I make it a habit to close the windows and turn on the AC to avoid hot air rushing in and affecting the cooling. Also, don’t set the temperature too low—around 25°C is cool enough and reduces the load. It's recommended to replace the AC filter once a year to keep it clean. But don’t tough it out without AC in hot weather, as heatstroke can be unsafe. Driving is all about balancing comfort and efficiency.
