HOUSTON – It’s hot and gas prices remain high. That means your air-conditioner is working hard — even when you do use our handy-dandy trick of using the recirculate button in your vehicle. So how can you improve fuel economy even in hot weather? Here are a few more tricks with expert scientific knowledge from the Environmental Protection Agency that should help.
But before we get to those — did you know that hot weather can actually increase your fuel economy? It’s true, according to the EPA. Here’s the explanation: “Your engine warms up to an efficient temperature faster; summer grades of gasoline can have slightly more energy; and warm air causes less aerodynamic drag than cold air.”
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However, as expected, keeping passengers comfortable in hot weather by rolling down the windows or using the air conditioning can reduce fuel economy.
Running your car’s air conditioning is the main contributor to reduced fuel economy…
