Is Fuel Consumption Higher in Winter or Summer?

[DiMaci]

Car fuel consumption is higher in winter than in summer. In fact, there is only one reason why winter consumes more fuel, and that is because the vehicle's operating environment temperature is lower. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced the further north you go. Below is relevant information: 1. Engine reaching operating state: A good working state for the engine requires a certain temperature, generally around 90 degrees. Only when the engine is in good working condition will fuel consumption be normal. However, outdoor temperatures in winter are relatively low, and after the engine starts, it needs to run for a longer time to reach its optimal working state. Therefore, fuel consumption will be higher compared to other seasons. 2. Poorer oil fluidity: This is also related to temperature. In lower temperature environments, the density of engine oil increases, and its fluidity decreases, especially for oils that are already more viscous. Once fluidity decreases, it hinders the engine's operation. For the engine to reach its normal working state, it needs to achieve a certain temperature to increase the oil's fluidity, which means the engine has to run longer, naturally leading to increased fuel consumption.

[MichaelFitz]

Actually, winter consumes more fuel than summer, based on my personal driving experience. In the morning, you need to warm up the car for a few minutes after starting it. When the engine temperature is low, the fuel injection volume increases. Although the heating system uses the engine's residual heat, the engine will inject more fuel to accelerate warming up when the car is too cold. When there's a lot of snow on the road, tire grip decreases, and acceleration is more prone to skidding, both of which increase fuel consumption. Additionally, the air density is higher in winter, and even a slight increase in wind resistance can raise fuel consumption. Therefore, in winter, I check the tire pressure in advance and choose engine oil with good low-temperature fluidity to save some fuel costs.

[McTeagan]

Using the air conditioning in summer does increase fuel consumption, as the AC compressor consumes about 10% of the engine's power. However, during cold starts in winter, the engine deliberately injects extra fuel to quickly bring the catalytic converter up to operating temperature, resulting in particularly high fuel consumption during this period. If you frequently take short trips where the engine doesn't have time to warm up before reaching your destination, overall fuel consumption can be even higher than in summer. I recommend avoiding frequent short trips in winter, regularly cleaning throttle valve carbon deposits, and maintaining proper tire pressure to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption.

[StBrooklyn]

This issue varies by region. When driving in the north, I clearly notice higher fuel consumption in winter. It's common for cold starts at temperatures below -20°C to double fuel consumption. However, friends in the south say summer AC use consumes more fuel since they rarely need heating in winter. Generally, low temperatures significantly impact engine efficiency: oil fluidity decreases, battery performance drops, and heating slightly increases load. Regardless of location, proper winter preparation includes pre-winter maintenance, switching to winter tires for better traction, and avoiding sudden acceleration.