“AC consumes a lot of fuel”
Your car AC uses fuel because the compressor is powered by the engine. But in most modern cars, the extra fuel used is usually small during normal driving.
What most people don’t know is driving with windows down also affects fuel use. Open windows increase air resistance (drag), especially at higher speeds, making the engine work harder.
So:
In city driving, windows down can be slightly more fuel efficient than AC
On highways, open windows can use as much or even more fuel than AC
The biggest factors affecting fuel consumption are:
•Aggressive acceleration
•High cruising speeds
•Excessive idling (leaving your car running for long periods while waiting, parked, or sitting in traffic)
•Underinflated tires (Low tire pressure increases rolling resistance, so the engine burns more fuel to move the car.)
•Poor vehicle maintenance
So while the ac consumes fuel, it is not usually as much as people think it does .
Nigerian Immigration Officer: Where are you flying from?
Me: Nairobi
NIO: What did you go there for?
Me: A conference.
NIO: What do you do?
Me: I’m a researcher.
NAO: So what do you study?
Me: Corruption.