How Much Gas Does The Car AC Use?

One widely acknowledged myth is that a car consumes more gas than fuel when the air conditioner is put on. Is this actually the truth, a myth, or completely untrue?

The air conditioning feature in cars has become one of the indispensable car features in every vehicle. However, drivers are always questioning the percentage of fuel the car air conditioner consumes and the efficient way to minimize fuel consumption when turning on the air conditioner on the car. 

Even though most car owners know that turning on the air conditioner consumes more fuel, the question has become: what’s the amount of fuel a car AC consumes? 

Does Running Car AC Consume More Gas?

In order for the air conditioner to work, it needs the operation of other components. And these parts usually get power from the engine and put an extra load on your car engine. Therefore, this device directly affects the fuel consumption of the vehicle. 

You can easily see how the RPM of a car engine increases when the air conditioner is turned on with high power. So to the question “Does AC use gas?”, the answer is “Yes”, your car when the air conditioner is turned on, will definitely consume more fuel than when the car AC is put off.

Some drivers don’t care too much about how much gas the air conditioner use while driving because they think it’s just a small expense. But it’s essential to keep track, especially considering the price of fuel in the country currently. 

So, how much gas does air conditioning use in a car?

How Much Gas Does Car AC Use?

According to data from Energy Star, when turning on the AC in your car, it consumes between 0,5 to 1 gallon of gas per hour. This number increases when driving during the peak hour. Also, Emissions Analytic, a research organization specializing in fuel consumption in the US, conducted a test with more than 100 cars in Los Angeles to determine the effect of turning on the air conditioner on fuel consumption. The test was conducted with 3 types of vehicles using gasoline, diesel, and hybrid fuels (gasoline-electric), with the same way of running twice, once with the air conditioning on and once without.

The results show that turning on the air conditioner will have the strongest effect on hybrid cars, the distance running in the city will decrease by up to 9.3% and down 2.8% when running on the highway, and the average rate is up to 6.1%. 

For example, a 2015 Chevy Volt with a full tank can run for more than 600 miles; when the air conditioner is turned on and the car drives in the city area, the running distance is reduced by 56 miles, equivalent to a decrease of 9.3%.

Conclusion

The reality is that putting on your car AC consumes greater fuel or gas than when it’s off. The percentage of gas or fuel consumed also increases when the vehicle is in motion. Car owners who want to save on fuel in these times should consider reducing the amount of time they put on their car AC, especially while driving.