tech
March 11, 2026
Does the air conditioner 'eat' fuel? Here's how much consumption increases in the city, on the highway, and at idle
As soon as the weather gets a little warmer, many drivers cannot imagine driving without the air conditioner on. However, the question often arises as to how much the car's air conditioning actually affects fuel consumption. Although it provides necessary comfort while driving, its operation loads the engine, and thus can lead to slightly higher fuel consumption. How much this increase is and what it depends on has been shown by numerous studies and tests.
TL;DR
- Air conditioning in cars increases fuel consumption.
- Modern AC compressors are reducing the impact on fuel economy.
- Average additional fuel consumption is between 10% and 15%.
- Fuel consumption increase varies by driving environment: 20% in the city, 6% on open roads (100 km/h), and 70% when idling.
- Using the automatic mode of climate control is more fuel-efficient than manually setting the fan speed.
Continue reading the original article