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Heating in the Car:Does it (Really) Increase Consumption?

Heating in the Car:Does it (Really) Increase Consumption?

Today you will finally know if heating in car results yes or not an overconsumption of fuel.

Because at the price of gasoline, we agree that the slightest saving is good to take, right?

If putting less heating on saves liters of gasoline, I want to tell you, why not!

But is this urban legend true?

Do we really have to ignore this comfort more or less during our trips to save money?

Well, read the following carefully.

Find out if heating in the car really increases consumption. Watch:

Heating in the Car:Does it (Really) Increase Consumption?

Contents
  • 1. How does a car heater work
  • 2. Does heating increase consumption?
  • 3. The effect of heating on electric vehicles

1. How does a car heater work

Heating in the Car:Does it (Really) Increase Consumption?

By explaining to you how the heating of a car works, you will immediately better understand where I am coming from.

The system is simple.

Filtered air enters the engine (via the so-called pollen filter).

It then passes through the air conditioning compressor and then through the radiator.

And in contact with this radiator, the air heats up.

The heating of a car will also use the heat of the water present in the cooling circuit.

In other words,the combined action of these 2 mechanisms creates the famous heating.

It only has to be pushed towards the passenger compartment of the car.

2. Does heating increase consumption?

Heating in the Car:Does it (Really) Increase Consumption?

You saw in the previous paragraph that I didn't talk about fuel for a second.

For continuous heating, all you need is the radiator and the water circuit.

So there is no overconsumption of fuel or electricity when the car heater is on!

I will also end a belief.

When you have just started the car and the engine is cold...

..turning on the heating does not consume more fuel.

It will just delay the engine warm-up a bit by 1 or 2 min.

You will receive cold air but other than that, no overconsumption when the vehicle is stationary.

In reality, I only see 2 cases where heating a car consumes more fuel:

- When using the air conditioning. The air conditioning mechanism compresses gases and therefore needs the engine to operate.

- And when you heat the steering wheel and the seats of the vehicle. The motor is also put to use, because there is a need for electricity.

3. The effect of heating on electric vehicles

Heating in the Car:Does it (Really) Increase Consumption?

We have seen that for thermal vehicles, turning on the heating does not consume more.

It's the thermal heat of the engine that does the job.

But what about electric vehicles, knowing thatthis type of engine does not produce combustion waste.

Electric cars must find other technical means to produce heating.

Some vehicles are equipped with a heat pump.

You know, it's a device a bit like in homes that recovers calories outside.

The system transforms these calories into heat and sends it to the passenger compartment.

It's very capable, but it still drains battery life.

The other technique is to equip the vehicle with an electric heater.

It's just a resistor that transforms the vehicle's energy into heat.

The problem is that this solution draws a lot on the electric battery in cold weather...