Does Cold Weather Affect Gas Mileage
Winter is just about here. With cold weather and icy conditions just around the corner, it’s important to consider how the cold weather will impact not only how to safely and cautiously operate your vehicle, but also how cold weather impacts gas mileage. In lower temperatures, fueling up becomes more essential for the safety of you and your passengers than ever. Visit Smith Chevy Hammond to learn more about lower gas mileage in cold weather today!
Do Cars Get Worse Gas Mileage in the Winter?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes—your vehicle will have reduced efficiency in the winter months. Due to frigid temperatures, your vehicle’s engine takes even longer than normal to warm up because the cold makes it harder for the vehicle to produce warm air and circulate it throughout the vehicle. In short, the extra energy needed to warm up the vehicle uses up more gas than usual.
While your vehicle is taking longer to warm up, it is also spending less time at the optimal temperature for fuel efficiency. The engine has to work even harder than usual to power your vehicle, on top of using power to warm up the interior. All of this extra effort requires more gas, which reduces your vehicle’s total fuel efficiency. However, there are still lots of things you can do to counteract lower cold weather gas mileage.
How to Deal with Reduced Fuel Efficiency in Cold Weather
The good news is that there are many ways you can boost your vehicle’s fuel efficiency in the winter. The most obvious thing you can do is to arm your vehicle up in advance of departing your location. This can be done easily and conveniently using the remote start on your Chevy vehicle’s key or myChevrolet app. The next thing you can do is try to save trips for warm days or warmer parts of the day like midday and in the afternoon. Because temperatures are typically lower early in the morning or late at night, taking trips during those times will reduce your fuel efficiency the most. Lastly, try to avoid idling wherever possible. A good way to do this is by turning your vehicle off if you have short wait times, which will mean you don’t have to worry about the interior temperature plummeting.
Get Winter Maintenance Today!
Make sure your vehicle is in top shape for winter driving conditions by scheduling winter maintenance for your car. Winter maintenance is also a great way to boost your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Winter maintenance will make your vehicle much safer and efficient to drive in the winter—whether it’s investing in new wiper blades, refilling your car’s fluids, or installing a cold weather car battery.
Visit Smith Hammond!
Looking for Chevy dealers in Northwest Indiana? Visit Smith Chevrolet today for all your needs, whether you’re looking for a new or used car, need to schedule service with our Smith Chevy Parts department, or want to trade-in your vehicle today! At Smith Motors, our unmatched service and diverse Chevrolet inventory have set us apart as the preferred dealer of Hammond residents. Counteract decreased fuel efficiency from cold weather; schedule your winter maintenance today!
