It's not just about warming up the car: 5 reasons why fuel consumption increases by at least 20% in winter

Many new drivers notice an increase in fuel consumption during the winter season. The difference can be significant and reach 20%. This is affected not only by engine warm-up, but also by other objective reasons.

heavy rubber

Soft and heavy winter tires increase fuel consumption by at least 3% due to the high tread and weight. Studded tires increase resistance, so it takes more energy to spin such a wheel.

One of the key factors associated with fuel costs is tire pressure. As the pressure drops, the rolling resistance increases, which leads to increased fuel combustion.

Attention should be paid to the size of the tires. For example, when choosing wide tires, it is important to understand that reducing their size by 1 cm reduces aerodynamic drag by an average of 1,5%. The lighter the tire model, the lower the rolling resistance.

Enriched Blend

In the cold, an enriched air-fuel mixture is formed in the car, which increases consumption at the first start of the engine after a night of inactivity by 7-10%. This is due to the fact that it contains 15-20% more fuel than required.

Such a charge burns out rapidly, and the engine develops maximum power, and gasoline consumption increases. After some time, the composition is normalized, and fuel costs are reduced.

Подшипники

Bearings are also susceptible to freezing, and torsion in this case is performed with a more significant effort. These mechanisms warm up relatively quickly while driving, but initially consume much more energy than in the summer. Additionally, up to 2% of fuel is consumed.

Excessive fuel consumption also causes a malfunction of the wheel bearing. If during the trip this element does not work correctly, then the wheel spins with difficulty, compared with a serviceable bearing. In order to adjust the speed to other wheels, the engine makes more effort, and the amount of fuel consumption increases, albeit not significantly.

Additional functions

Additional energy is spent on heated seats, steering wheel, electrically heated mirrors, and windshield, which as a result adds 3-5% to the consumption.

You should also pay attention to the fact that starting the engine in frosty conditions is not as fast as in warm weather. The battery, when trying to start, is discharged more strongly, and even when it is turned off, during cold weather, it holds a charge worse. To restore the nominal charge, the generator has to work longer, which entails fuel costs.

Difficulties on the roads

In winter, tire grip is not as effective as in summer. Snow and mud porridge lead to wheel slip and increased driving resistance. The increase in fuel consumption in this case can be 5-7%. High-quality winter tires will help reduce the negative impact.

When it gets into snowdrifts or drifts, the car engine is forced to work at high speeds. Even more problems arise when you need to travel after a snowfall. Just to get out of the parking lot, sometimes you have to spend about the same amount of fuel as a trip of an average duration.

Although traffic jams are also observed in summer, they are more massive in winter, and driving in winter conditions invariably provokes an increase in fuel consumption.

Many drivers are lazy before leaving on the road to clean the car well. Snow adhering to the body leads to the fact that the car becomes heavier, its aerodynamic characteristics change, and fuel costs increase.