True cost of using A/C while driving

[Richard n Ann]

Don't notice any difference in the car or van

 

[John Barrett]

I once borrowed a small Japanese car in Qatar when my Landy broke down. When the A/C cut in it was,as if airbrakes had been engaged!

 

[EuroTrotters]

I would question the a/c consumption quoted in the press as bing according to the "AA"

If a manufacturer quoted 10% more fuel, I would not be buying it. Much older cars maybe. We have a couple of Toyotas that the A/C runs three units of one compressor via a 3 way valve. Front A/C, Rear A/C and a fridge. That might use over 5%. But only running all three in 30c external temps on a black or dark coloured car.

I run a small fleet. On the Mercedes Sprinters, 2006 on. You could barely measure the extra fuel on a normal day.

 

[buttons]

This post is funny!
The title sounds very ominous, "The TRUE cost" of running air con. I thought there would be all sots of links for research done by Shell or BP along with some links and real world testing. Instead some bloke thinks he uses up to 25% more fuel because he made a note of it in his head. buttons I applaud you for this post.
PS I have also done some research and I have made a note that if I use a cash point, it costs me money as I have less money in there than when I started!

Another one for your book SHM bring onto your forecourt an A/C system that can maintain a temperature of absolute zero and you will be pounds in. Reading some of these posts I think some posters have reached absolute and already achieving free energy.

 

[chaser]

What is this about standing with the engine running just to run the AC, I thought it was a hanging offence in towns now to have your engine just running doing nothing.

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[Simon Select]

I did have a cracker the other day. Went for a dog walk in the fields, parked in the big Tesco car park like we normally do. Rachel ran into Tesco to grab a couple of bits, and some old lady tapped on my window. I opened the window and she said turn the engine off (I had it running for the air-con to keep the dogs cool) I said "Why?" She said I was killing the planet. I said "No I won't turn it off as I am keeping my dogs cool" She then looked shocked, said I was part of the problem and walked off muttering.......

 

[Lenny HB]

Always run with the aircon on on both the car and van I've done checks on the over 500 miles with the van and difference in consumption is less than 1mpg.

 

[buttons]

What is this about standing with the engine running just to run the AC, I thought it was a hanging offence in towns now to have your engine just running doing nothing.

Couldn't agree more chaser it is a chicken and egg situation. It's Global warming that is creating these unusually high temperatures that my lovely lady can only survive in with the help of A/C. Now without GW I wouldn't need my A/C when parked. What can we do about it.?

 

[Spawn_e_git]

warm humid air contains less Oxygen therefore your car will run less efficient.
Nowt to do with A/C imo

 

[Rosemary1]

I notice a big difference in my car when using the air con regarding fuel.

Me too - mine is a 4 x 4 - wonder how much difference the type of car is makes. I consider the very few times I need it in this country to be worth it tho

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[sylvester1954]

My fueling policy in my car is to fill up then drive until the low fuel light comes on then fill up again. Now I have been doing this for some time and normally make a mental note of the trip mileage before I reset after filling. No calculations or recording just a mental note of how many miles I tend to do each week. I filled up this morning as my fuel light had just activated.
Now this week has been absolutely roasting as it is this morning with temperatures well into the 30Cs, consequently my A/C has been working full bore every day this week even when parked if needed.
This is obviously going to have an effect on my MPG so I thought I would share with you just how much it costs to use your A/C.
Nothing scientific but I had done 25% less miles this week on a tank full when my fuel light came on.
Conclusion........Using A/C could cost you 25% more on your fuel bill. View attachment 415013

I never use Ac, windows wide open is sufficient for me

 

[rod_vw]

We have a 2016 VW T6 which we've had from new, being one of those who records every drop of fuel that is put in the tank I can quite confidently say that even in last summer's exceptional heat and being on holiday in Europe at the time there was no noticeable increase in fuel consumption with the aircon running flat out. This is exactly the same every summer when the aircon is used regularly.
Fuel consumption is also unchanged in the day to day figures at times of cold weather and the Eberspacher heater is regularly.
I might add that this vehicle is used as everyday transport all year.

 

[Tea Bag]

I use the aircon a lot throughout the year and still average 32 mpg on my 120 Ducato PVC

Hi
On the reverse side....... I DON'T get 32mpg.....and have never had the Air con on ...Only because it feels hotter when i get out.......Perhaps i should ? .
Tea Bag
PS On the first Range Rover twin carb,i took the A/con belt off....... was getting 16mpg with that. Our daughter took jennifer to London,blasted down the m/way 75mph ( Some while ago) when they landed back in derbyshire it had done 18mpg ??????

 

[Clivefog]

I use A/C all the time. I've no comparison with not using it in any of the vehicles I've owned. Stepping out as cool as James Bond, with my hair unruffled, not arguing with the wife is in my opinion worth the small extra cost. One of the motoring shows did an in depth investigation and found A/C against windows open were not far apart, less than having an unused roof rack fitted. Switch it on and forget it. Latest hybrid car has climate control so I just let it do its thing. Chillax as my kids would say.

 

[PhilMary]

My air con is free,,,i either open the windows but mainly walk...Same on van,,i open the windows,,BUSBY

Mine is also free. Just pedal faster.
Phil

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[Bart]

More likely to be the extra fuel used idling when stationary.

This I would say so as well

 

[IslandApe]

Sounds a nightmare if things go wrong,,,BUSBY

Assuming we're talking Toyota hybrids here, they regularly survive >300k miles in the hands of the four door saloon men of the apocalypse (taxi drivers) with no more than routine servicing and tyre changes. No clutch or DPF to worry about and the gearbox is a simple epicyclic. They are actually less complex than a modern diesel. Everyone worries about batteries but they rarely go wrong and individual cells can be replaced quite cheaply.

I'm on my third now and they are even staring to look halfway decent, or is that Stockholm Syndrome

 

[Deneb]

There's also a difference between switching on the aircon with fan on full and temperature set to coldest setting so that it runs continuously at maximum, or regulating it to maintain an appropriate comfortable temperature in the cabin.

 

[bobnick]

Got my M5 down to 8 MPG on a autobahn last year...with A/C on

 

[Manic]

Our Peugeot 107 has a/c but it takes too much power so we don’t use it.

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[Viennese]

People who run engines while stationary drive me mad and I sometimes shout at them. Oxford is a seriously polluted city and running engines while stationary produces far higher emissions than
driving does. However some do it for the A?C in summer and the heater in winter, Very antisocial.

 

[Larrynwin]

As you are aware SD nothing is for nothing, we can do things more efficiently but even charging you battery on your hybrid is costing you at the pump.
Yes I have been looking at hybrids and EVs but nothing yet has attracted me enough to change over.

Even battery hens must be fed

 

[pagey]

I have a kia picanto 84 bhp I don't see hardly any fuel consumption difference maybe 2 or 3 mpg 150 mile round trip to Kent and its still doing a reported 55 mpg a/c on all the time

 

[TerryL]

My van aircon is costing me a fortune - all because I hardly ever use it. Just forked out £60 to "fix" it but within a short time it's "broken" again. As suggested on another thread it's most likely a tiny leak that's going to be a bugger (and therefore even more expensive) to find.

 

[63720]

According to Honest John, many years ago, increased fuel consumption with air-conditioning on is no worse than the turbulence, and subsequent drag, caused by having all the windows open at speeds above 40mph.

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[tonyidle]

AFAIK the pump uses about 5 horsepower. At tickover that's a a large chunk out of the engine power so fuel consumption will be relatively heavy. In my car it is on by default, but it does have 258 HP available when it gets going so it's not so much of a problem.
John

Cruising, as most driving is, has a very low HP requirement. Aircon use will add over 10% that requirement. And of of course I use mine.

 

[SpeedyDux]

Assuming we're talking Toyota hybrids here, they regularly survive >300k miles in the hands of the four door saloon men of the apocalypse (taxi drivers) with no more than routine servicing and tyre changes. No clutch or DPF to worry about and the gearbox is a simple epicyclic. They are actually less complex than a modern diesel. Everyone worries about batteries but they rarely go wrong and individual cells can be replaced quite cheaply.

I'm on my third now and they are even staring to look halfway decent, or is that Stockholm Syndrome

The gearbox on my Honda hybrid is even simpler. Only one forward ratio and one reverse. No clutch (except for engine direct drive at motorway speeds) nor torque converter. Playing catch-up with Toyota who have been in this hybrid game for 20 + years but I think Honda might be in the lead now (just).

 

[pappajohn]

Where is the comparison of the A/C not being on. Your van may well do 38 without the a/c on

Back to where he was when first joining fun then.... Was getting the best part of 40mpg back then.

 

[tonyidle]

warm humid air contains less Oxygen therefore your car will run less efficient.
Nowt to do with A/C imo

Not so much these days - you're correct of course about reduced oxygen much the same as driving at high altitudes - but the ECU will reduce fuelling to match. So less power but no change in efficiency.

 

[simsy56]

I doubt that a 25% increase in fuel consumption is anywhere near correct. I have A/C in the car and RV, if I need it, I use it, I haven't noticed any significant increase in fuel consumption whatsoever.

Craig

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