Gas Mileage and Winter Driving: On cold winter days all machines, vehicles, and people (inc. hybrid cars) get less mileage to the gallon. Average the drop off in efficiency is between 10 and 20 percent. For example, if you are driving a 20 mpg SUV, you might not notice the drop to 17 mpg. But the drop will seem much more dramatic when you’ve paid the premium to expect 50 mpg from your Prius then the drop to the low -40s.
Here some explains why during the winter causes the decrease in fuel economy.
- During the winter engines take longer to warm up. During this time they are running heavy at high RPMs. All systems of car have to work harder to maintain a normal operating temperature even after you get going.
- I think no one likes to step into a cold car. Have you ever started up the car and leave it running for several minutes while you go inside and slug down the second or third cup of coffee? Is the car running while you are doing some activity? All of this burns gas and reduces your overall fuel economy numbers.
- When it’s cold the air is denser. It’s likely to be windy in the winter. The roads can be covered in snow and ice. This all adds up to more resistance.
- Tires are stiffer. Until they warm up on the highway, they roll less easily. And the tire pressure is likely to fall below the desired range.
- During this time, you use your defrosters, heaters, and headlights more. For Honda hybrids, the use of the heater and defroster will reduce how often the idle stop feature kicks in. This happen because Honda Civic Hybrid manual says that auto stop will not function normally less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The ability for hybrids to go all-electric during idle is essential to its fuel parsimony strategy.
- Winter-blend gasoline is cut with various additives, such as anti-gel agents. As a result, there’s less tiger in the tank.
So, how can we do to steal back your gas mileage from Old Man Winter? Well, the same things you should be doing all year round. Combine shorter trips into longer ones. Keep your car maintained and your tire pressure up. If you can, don’t drive until the road is clear and the day warms up a bit. Or, try do drive less. By the way, who wants to go outside in the cold anyhow?
Another articles by Johan Young you may interest in reading: Chevy Hybrid Truck, Hybrid Minivan, Honda Fit Hybrid, Hybrid Minivans, Best Gas-Mileage, Hybrid Car Reviews, Hybrid Fuel Economy, Luxury Hybrid, Hybrid Trucks, Green Car Insurance, BMW X6, and Audi Q7.
| Gas Mileage and Winter Driving |
