[64-bit]

Good to know that weather does affect your MPG.

Source: MSN Autos

http://t.autos.msn.com/fuel-efficien...-gas-mileage-1

Although motorists can take steps to improve mpg.



If it seems like your fuel economy has been lower than normal this winter, it's not your imagination at work. Cars, like people, find it harder to get through a cold winter, and that's especially true for the latest generation of battery-based vehicles such as hybrids, plug-ins and electric vehicles.

New research by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory finds that some models can lose as much as a third of their fuel economy by the time the mercury drops to 20 degrees. And the colder the weather the bigger the drop.

The good news is that motorists can take steps to improve the performance of their vehicles when weather turns frigid.

"Cold weather and winter driving conditions can reduce your fuel economy significantly," says the Oak Ridge's Bo Saulsbury, in a report on winter driving. "Fuel economy tests show that, in short-trip city driving, a conventional gasoline car's gas mileage is about 12 percent lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F."

The research center took the rated fuel-economy results of 600 conventional vehicles, as well as 14 hybrids, under "normal" warm weather conditions and then compared them to tests at 20 degrees. The worst drop came from those battery-based vehicles, which saw their typical mileage drop by anywhere from 31 percent to 34 percent — meaning a 45-mpg model like a Ford Fusion Hybrid might only deliver 30 miles a gallon when the temperature plunges.


But even a regular, gas-powered car getting 30 mpg normally might struggle to deliver 24 mpg during short trips when mileage drops the most, a typical 22 percent, according to Oak Ridge researchers.

And the worse the weather the more that mileage drops. Lower temperatures are just one of the reasons. The lab pointed to other factors, including:
Icy or snow-covered roads which can decrease your tires' ability to grip the road. You're wasting fuel when you're quite literally spinning your wheels;
Vehicles are typically designed to deliver their best mileage at highway speeds, so if you're slowing down on slick roads, fuel economy will fall;
Vehicles typically use more fuel if they're operating in four- or all-wheel drive.

There are other reasons why cold weather takes its toll on fuel economy. Oil and other vehicle fluids become thicker and increase internal friction. Your car will take longer to heat up to its optimum operating temperature. You'll use more energy to power blower fans, defrosters and seat heaters. Winter gasoline blends tend to have lower levels of energy per gallon than summer blends. And motorists are more likely to let a vehicle idle — getting zero miles per gallon — as they warm it up.


Then there's the battery. Even in a conventional vehicle, it's likely to be less efficient when it gets cold, requiring the alternator to run more frequently. And in a hybrid, plug-in or electric vehicle, a cold battery will hold less energy, limiting both range and energy efficiency.

According to Oak Ridge research, there are a number of steps you can take to improve your mileage during the winter, however. Among other things, that means parking your car where it can stay warm and combining trips rather than making lots of short ones, especially if you're running errands, so the vehicle's engine and fluids will warm up.

Other mileage-friendly suggestions include:
Ensuring you use the right oil the manufacturer recommends for winter;
Limit the amount of time you spend warming the vehicle up since it will actually heat up faster while driving;
Check your tire pressure frequently. It falls as temperature drops but tires aren't as energy efficient when they're low — and may not give as good a grip.

And if you have a plug-based vehicle, like a Chevrolet Volt or a Toyota RAV4 EV, pre-heat the cabin, Oak Ridge researchers say, so you're warming the car up while it's plugged in rather than while it's driving, draining range in the process.

[jdong]

Yes, weather absolutely does affect your MPG. So do short trips in general.

Kind of sucks for my commute, since the first 3 miles are stop-and-go (stop signs and traffic lights EVERY block, alternating), and that's enough to bring my MPG down to single-digits before I get on the highway.

That's why mileage comparisons between people need to be taken with a grain of salt. If my highway section of my commute were just 5 miles longer, I'd gain another 5mpg.

[FreddyG]

One plus is that cold weather increases horsepower though (has to do with air density and the amount of oxygen molecules in the air)!

[34.50]

Thank you MSN Autos for an article that is common knowledge...What's next an article about winter fuel?

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by 34.50

Thank you MSN Autos for an article that is common knowledge...What's next an article about winter fuel?

Seriously. My 9 year could have written this article.

In other news, it's more likely to be hot during the summer than in the middle of winter.

[marlin2911]

Originally Posted by 34.50

Thank you MSN Autos for an article that is common knowledge...What's next an article about winter fuel?

Lets be honest, the auto articles you read on MSN or Yahoo are all written for idiots by idiots haha.

But yea, the increased butane mixture into winter fuel is no bueno...

[fecurtis]

I look forward to MSN's next article...why you should put air (but not too much!) in your tires.

[OC40]

Originally Posted by marlin2911

Lets be honest, the auto articles you read on MSN or Yahoo are all written for idiots by idiots haha.

But yea, the increased butane mixture into winter fuel is no bueno...

Have you ever read Yahoo Food articles?

This will be the best pasta that you have ever had. Add 5 quarts of water and a tablespoon of salt to a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook as directed. Al dente every time.

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by FreddyG

One plus is that cold weather increases horsepower though (has to do with air density and the amount of oxygen molecules in the air)!

Yeah, I always thought that combustion engines love cold weather and when performance increases so does efficiency.

But, I have been wrong about this all these years? Please set me straight!

[RoundelM3]

I always get better gas mileage in cold weather...although we don't get very cold here in S. Texas. I try not to drive when the temp is below 32 degrees, mostly due to running summer tires year-round.

[PabloK]

Originally Posted by roundel335

I always get better gas mileage in cold weather...although we don't get very cold here in S. Texas. I try not to drive when the temp is below 32 degrees, mostly due to running summer tires year-round.

Maybe because you're not running your AC?

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by PabloK

Maybe because you're not running your AC?

That helps some, but sometimes I actually have it running to keep the windows from fogging up. But I definitely don't see a decrease from Spring or Fall, when I don't normally have the A/C on either.

[Cyberdemon]

I get generally better gas mileage in winter:
-Narrower, less sticky snow tire inflated to a higher PSI
-No running of AC compressor
-Generally slower driving because I don't have enough grip to floor it

I love this gem "You're wasting fuel when you're quite literally spinning your wheels"

So stop flooring the car on ice...Atlanta + Texas drivers I'm looking at you...

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by 34.50

Thank you MSN Autos for an article that is common knowledge...What's next an article about winter fuel?

There have been MANY threads here that go pages and pages about this..................hilarious.