It’s hard to resist the call of fresh air when you step into a car that’s been transformed into a veritable oven. However, cranking the air conditioning at full blast can have less innocuous consequences than it seems, starting with your fuel consumption. Yes, this immediate comfort could impact your wallet in the long run… and not just a little.
When you turn on the air conditioning, you’re directly using the engine, which increases energy consumption. As a result, your vehicle consumes more fuel, even over short distances. And for older or poorly maintained models, this can even cause the engine to overheat. Not exactly what you want in the middle of summer, is it?
Open windows vs. air conditioning: the unexpected duel
Thought driving with the windows open necessarily consumed more fuel? Not so fast! A study by the Society of Automotive Engineers, conducted in collaboration with General Motors, compared the two options. The verdict: up to a certain speed (around 80 km/h ), driving with the windows down is generally more economical than running the air conditioning.
That said, it shouldn’t be an absolute rule either. At high speeds, open windows increase air resistance (the famous « aerodynamic drag » ), which also ends up affecting fuel consumption. The best option? Driving with the windows closed without air conditioning, if the temperature allows… easier said than done when it’s 35°C outside!
