- ***Dave Does the Blog - https://hill-kleerup.org/blog -

Saving sweat or saving gas?

What are the economics (at least in terms of fuel efficiency) between driving with the air conditioner on and driving with “360 A/C” (i.e., with the windows rolled down)? Air conditioning draws on power, which reduces mileage. Windows open increase drag, which reduces mileage. 

Not surprisingly, there’s no easy answer [1] (it varies wildly with the vehicle in question, the temp, the speed, etc.), but the simple rule of thumb seems to be that a/c is better at freeway speeds, windows at slower than that.

Now, which will keep you cooler (vs. more solvent) is another matter.

44 view(s)