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Winter Fuel Economy Tips

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Six Tips to Cut Fuel Costs and Unnecessary Idling When Winter Hits

Photo of vehicles on the highway in a snowstorm.

How can I improve my gas mileage while driving this winter?

Whether taking that long-awaited ski trip or just commuting to work in the frigid weather, there are several things you can do to improve your fuel economy and save money in the wintertime.

Why You Get Worse Gas Mileage When It’s Cold

Cold weather and winter driving conditions can reduce your fuel economy significantly. On particularly chilly days, when temperatures drop to 20°F or lower, you can expect to see up to a 12% hit on your fuel economy for short city trips. During very quick trips—traveling only three to four miles—your fuel economy could dip even lower (as much as 22%)! This reduction in fuel economy is due to several factors. First of all, cold temperatures increase the time it takes your vehicle to warm the cabin, engine, drive-line fluids, and other components up to fuel-efficient operating temperatures. Cold fluids increase the friction on your engine and transmission, which can reduce fuel economy.

Let’s take a moment to address one of the main myths about driving in cold weather:

  • Myth: To warm up your engine and vehicle cabin in the wintertime, you should let the engine run for several minutes before driving.
  • Truth: Most manufacturers recommend driving off gently after about 30 seconds of idling. In fact, the engine will warm up faster when driving. Idling can use a quarter to half a gallon of fuel per hour, and even more fuel if the engine is cold or accessories like seat heaters are on.

Also keep in mind that winter gasoline blends in cold climates have slightly less energy per gallon than summer blends. This is because refineries alter the chemical makeup of gasoline to allow it to evaporate more easily in low temperatures, ensuring proper engine operation.

Aerodynamic drag is another consideration. In simple terms, cold air is denser than warm air, so when temperatures drop, wind resistance increases slightly. This requires a little more power from your engine to drive at a given speed. The effects of aerodynamic drag on fuel economy are most significant at highway speeds.

Winter Fuel-Saving Tips

The following tips can help you warm your car (and fingers!) more efficiently and improve your fuel economy in the winter:

  • Park in a warmer place like a garage that traps heat to keep the initial temperature of your engine and cabin higher than it would be outside in the elements.
  • Avoid idling to warm up the engine and cabin. See more information above.
  • Avoid using seat warmers more than necessary, as they require additional power.
  • Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) owners: Pre-heat your vehicle while still plugged in. Since PEVs use battery power to provide heat to the cabin, cabin and seat heaters can drain the vehicle’s battery and reduce the overall range. If you need to warm up quickly, warm the vehicle while it’s still charging.
  • PEV owners: Use seat heaters instead of the cabin heater when able. Using seat heaters instead of the cabin heater can save energy. Seat heaters use less energy than cabin heaters and can often be more efficient at warming you up quickly in the winter.
  • Read the owner’s manual for detailed information on how your vehicle’s cabin and seat heaters work and how to use them efficiently.

Do you live in a place where snow and ice isn’t an issue? Check out the May Question of the Month blog for year-round warm weather driving tips.

More Information

For more information on how to improve your fuel economy, please refer to the following FuelEconomy.gov tips:

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Workplace Charging Challenge

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Workplace Charging Challenge!

In January 2013, the Department of Energy launched the Workplace Charging Challenge as part of its EV Everywhere Grand Challenge. Electric Vehicles (EVs) represent a great opportunity to vastly reduce petroleum usage in the transportation sector, and the DOE has set a goal for the US to be the first country to produce EVs that are as affordable as standard gas-powered vehicles by 2022. As one measure to meet that goal, they’ve started the Workplace Charging Challenge, an initiative aimed at employers to provide electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) – charging stations – at their businesses for employee use.

One of the biggest barriers to entry of the market for EVs is the relative scarcity of stations where drivers can recharge their battery, resulting in range anxiety – the idea that you may not have enough battery charge to make it to work, the store, school, etc., and home again. As such, the charging infrastructure needs to be in place for EVs to be adopted on a larger scale. But charging your car’s battery is not exactly like filling up the tank. Depending on the level of charge and the battery, charging stations take from two to twenty hours to recharge a car’s battery. This makes overnight at-home charging ideal, but in order to double someone’s potential all-electric commuting range, or simply give them the flexibility to run some errands on the way home from work, workplace charging stations are a key piece of the infrastructure needed. The typical car spends anywhere from six to eight hours parked at work on weekdays, making workplace charging a prime opportunity to expand EV charging networks.

So why would employers want to take on the challenge of providing charging stations for their employees, especially if they don’t have many (or any) employees who own EVs?

First of all, infrastructure comes first, so just by virtue of providing the EVSE many employers have seen an increase in EV adoption among their employees. According to a DOE survey, “employees of Challenge partners are six times more likely to drive an EV than the average worker.” Zappos, a shoe and apparel company, installed four level 2 chargers when zero employees owned EVs, and within a year five people had bought EVs. The program clearly demonstrates that the ability to charge your car at work spurs EV adoption.

There are also direct, though usually non-monetary, benefits for employers. Of course employers could charge for the electricity used, but most have provided the electricity for free and been very satisfied (recent partner feedback data indicate that employees are roughly just as likely to utilize workplace charging, whether the employer provides it free or not). The ability to charge your car at work is a great amenity, and when firms are hiring and competing for the best applicants for jobs, EVSE stations have been a major factor in many prospective employees’ decisions to work with a company. It not only helps with recruitment, but also employee retention. Satisfied employees tend to stay at their jobs longer, and anyone who’s worked in HR or management will immediately recognize the financial benefits of reduced turnover.

Beyond just the image to employees and potential hires, workplace charging presents a public image of the company as a cutting edge leader, furthering their environmental commitments and sustainability goals, and can be counted toward LEED points. The benefits for the employees, the firm, and society in general are numerous, and most importantly further the trend toward cleaner, more sustainable transportation.

What are the benefits of becoming a Partner in the Challenge?

In addition to the benefits of having installed EV charging for your employees, joining the Challenge gives employers access to:

  • Informational resources and technical assistance
  • Access to a sharing network of partners and their best practices
  • Peer-to-peer exchange at workplace charging events
  • Support from Challenge ambassador organizations
  • Public recognition of successes

So where are we with the Workplace Charging Challenge?

The goal is to have 500 Challenge partners by 2018, and to date we are more than halfway there with over 260 partners. The DOE just recently released a mid-program update here, if you want to learn more. Partner organizations range widely from tech companies and manufacturers to utilities and universities.

Closer to home, we have been able to identify several firms in the region who are already taking steps toward providing charging for their employees, and we look forward to partnering with them and giving recognition for their work. Just as important, we are working with several others who are interested in the benefits of workplace charging and want to work with us to start the process of installing EVSE and getting EVs everywhere!