For combustion engines and electric cars
Why consumption increases when it's cold
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If you drive a combustion engine vehicle at low temperatures, you have to expect increased fuel consumption. Why actually? And what about the battery in an electric car when it gets cold outside?
In winter, fuel consumption increases for diesel and gasoline engines. There are various reasons for this. The most important thing: Additional consumers such as lighting and windshield wiper systems, but also seat and windshield heating as well as heated exterior mirrors, consume electricity that has to be produced by the combustion engine. If all consumers are active, this can add up to an extra liter of fuel per 100 kilometers.
In addition, when the air temperature is low, the engine takes longer to reach operating temperature. Until then, it will run less efficiently. This is particularly important on short journeys; Often the engine doesn't even warm up properly. By the way, letting it warm up while stationary is not a solution – on the one hand, it is forbidden for environmental reasons anyway, and on the other hand, the unit consumes an extremely large amount of fuel without providing any benefit to the vehicle.
However, winter tires do not have a major impact on fuel consumption these days. While they used to significantly increase rolling resistance and thus the thirst for fuel, this effect hardly plays a role anymore.
Electric car in winter: battery defies the cold
And what about the electric car when it gets cold? Some Stromer owners may be worried about the battery. But the ADAC doesn't see a problem and gives a few tips.
Although electric cars lose range when it's cold, there are some measures that can be taken to save energy.
(Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/dpa/dpa-tm)
At temperatures around freezing point, the range of the electric car drops by around 15 to 25 percent, according to the club. As with combustion engines, this is mainly due to the fact that the heating has to work harder and therefore uses more energy.
This is not a problem with a combustion car because the waste heat from the engine can be used for heating. And on longer journeys the loss of energy is less noticeable. The reason: Once the car has heated up, all that remains is to maintain the temperature.
The ADAC advises that it is best to heat the electric car using the wallbox. Because almost all electric cars have an auxiliary heater. This preheats the interior and the battery without significantly affecting the range.
Traffic jams are not a big energy guzzler for electric cars
Even traffic jams are hardly a problem. A well-charged car can sit in a traffic jam for several hours, according to the ADAC. The battery works energy-efficiently even at particularly low temperatures.
But if you want to save extra energy, the ADAC has a tip: use the seat and steering wheel heating instead of the main heater. Because they are close to the driver, they warm up quickly and effectively – without having to use a lot of electricity to heat up the entire interior.
