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.