How much fuel does a 400-horsepower engine consume at idle for one hour?
3 Answers
400-horsepower engine consumes approximately two to three liters of gasoline when idling for one hour. Here is a brief introduction about gasoline: 1. Basic information: Gasoline is a volatile, flammable hydrocarbon mixture liquid obtained from petroleum through distillation and cracking, used as fuel. It appears as a transparent liquid, is flammable, and has a distillation range of 30°C to 220°C. 2. Composition: The main components are C5~C12 aliphatic hydrocarbons and cycloalkanes, along with a certain amount of aromatic hydrocarbons. Gasoline has a high octane number (anti-knock combustion performance) and is classified into different grades such as 89, 90, 92, 93, 95, 97, and 98 based on octane ratings. Starting from January 2012, the gasoline grades 90, 93, and 97 were revised to 89, 92, and 95.
As someone who loves talking about car details, I find the fuel consumption of a 400-horsepower engine idling for an hour really fascinating. It's related to the engine displacement—a 400-horsepower car usually has a displacement of around 3 to 4 liters. During idling, fuel is mainly supplied through the injectors to keep the engine running, consuming approximately 2 to 3 liters per hour. Why the variation? Ambient temperature and engine condition both affect it—cold starts consume more fuel. While driving on highways is efficient, idling wastes fuel and causes carbon buildup. I recommend avoiding prolonged idling beyond what's necessary for auto start-stop functions to save on fuel costs.
When I drive my high-performance car and get stuck in traffic idling for an hour, I can literally see the fuel gauge dropping. I estimate it burns about 3 liters of fuel, which feels like burning money. High-power cars have larger engines with higher idle power consumption, though it's much slower than normal driving. If you frequently use air conditioning or during hot summer days, fuel consumption might increase by 50%. Every time this happens, I remind myself to turn off the engine while waiting, otherwise the sound of the engine just makes me cringe at the fuel cost.