It has been proven that using air conditioning in a vehicle increases fuel consumption. But there is a trick to limit this overconsumption. Do you know her?
In summer, when the temperatures drive the thermometer crazy, the asphalt burns, the grass turns yellow and… the cars become furnaces! So we adapt… or we turn on the air conditioning. But this comfort comes at a price! To operate, the air conditioning requires the power of your engine, an engine which in turn burns more fuel to power the air conditioner. If you are a little curious, you have probably already noticed that there are two modes of air conditioning in cars.
The most classic, the one that is generally used, consists in cooling the hot air coming from outside. As the air arrives continuously, the air conditioning operates without interruption, causing a significant increase in your fuel consumption. According to figures from ADEME (National Agency for Ecological Transition), published in 2020, air conditioning leads on average to an increase in consumption of 2 liters per 100 kilometers traveled in the city and 0.4 liters on the motorway for the same distance. On a journey of 500 kilometers (the equivalent of a full tank for many vehicles) covered in an urban environment, the overconsumption due to air conditioning can therefore reach 10 liters, or nearly…20 euros!
The second mode is much less fuel-intensive, you still have to know how to use it. This system, once triggered, will simply renew the air inside your vehicle to cool or heat it according to your wishes. As the quantity of air in the passenger compartment is much less important than that of the outside air to be cooled continuously (mode 1), the air conditioner is then used for much less time for the same result. On the other hand, your gasoline or diesel consumption is much lower.
In addition to its economic benefit, the recirculation of interior air (effective when driving with the windows closed!) prevents polluted air and bad odors from entering the vehicle, which is not insignificant, especially when stuck in traffic. However, it is advisable to use it sparingly because breathing the same air for too long can affect concentration and reflexes due to the inhalation of CO2 released by human respiration.
Have you ever experienced it? It’s a shame, because this button allows the air to be recycled in the cabin and offers a much more economical air conditioning system. How to activate this mode? It is very often present on the dashboard of your car via a button with the symbol of a circular arrow in a car (or three arrows forming a circle).
