During the winter season, the fuel economy of combustion engine vehicles is often reduced significantly. There are various factors affecting the decrease in the fuel economy of a vehicle but the most one reason is the enhanced air resistance. In the cold weather conditions, there is a significant increase in the air resistance as the cold air is denser than the warm air. Amid the frequent fluctuations observed in the global crude oil prices and fuel prices already on a high in the KSA, it is essential for motorists to know how they can reduce their fuel expense.
In addition, it is even more needed for motorists on a tight budget to understand all about the causes of the decreased fuel efficiency in their vehicles. However, motorists can reduce their fuel expense in the KSA during the chilly weather conditions by avoiding frequent road trips, keeping a vehicle well-maintained and adjusting one’s driving style according to the weather.
Causes of Reduced Fuel Efficiency During Cold Weather Conditions
There are adverse effects of the cold weather conditions on the vehicle's fuel efficiency. During the winter season in the KSA, several different types of extreme weather conditions can be observed such as windstorms, thunderstorms, dense fog, and heavy rain.
With such weather conditions, the challenges in commuting can be increased, along with mounting the fuel costs to increase consumption of the fuel.
The major reasons that affect the fuel efficiency of the vehicles during the cold weather conditions are given below.
The Increased in the Aerodynamic Resistance
Arguably, during the winter season the most significant reason behind high fuel costs is the increased aerodynamic resistance. The aerodynamic resistance increases significantly during the winter season and there is an evident rise in the fuel expense.
It is estimated that the average wind speed is higher during the winter season, and the cold air is 11% denser than the warm air, eventually increasing the air resistance. When driving on the highways, motorists can observe the most adverse effect of increased air resistance as the fuel consumption increases by 1.3 percent.
The Effects of the Extreme Weather Conditions
During the cold weather conditions, the inclement weather is one of the prominent reasons behind increased fuel consumption of vehicles. Therefore, one can observe various types of extreme weather during the winter season that include windstorms, dense fog, thunderstorms, and heavy rains.
The heavy rains during the winter season can cause waterlogged roads that in turn result in the increase of the rolling resistance for tyres. In this condition, tyres have to generate more energy that is provided by the engine as tyres must push water on the ground with additional force.
With the continuous weather conditions varying in different regions, the accurate effect of weather conditions on the fuel efficiency of a vehicle cannot be quantified. Reportedly, it is estimated that extreme weather conditions can increase fuel consumption by 7 to 35%.
Tyre Pressure Drops in Cold Weather
The pressure of tyres can significantly drop in cold weather conditions, making the rolling resistance of the tyres to increase. In this way, the engine consumes more fuel to provide maximum power to the tyres when tyres need more energy to move a vehicle forward. Therefore, more fuel is consumed by a four-wheel-drive vehicle, than the two-wheel-drive vehicles during chilly weather.
Electrical Loads Get High
The loads on the electrical systems of a vehicle increase while driving in the winter season. This high load is caused by the rise in demand for heated mirrors, heated seats, interior lights and heating. The increased usage requires the engine to supply additional energy as the electrical systems obtain all energy from the engine that adversely affects the fuel economy.
Improving the Fuel-efficiency in Cold Weather
The fluctuating fuel prices in the KSA from the last 5 years has made it really difficult for motorists to manage their fuel expenses smoothly. On the other hand, extreme weather conditions make things worse for motorists on a tight budget as the use of fuel consumption increases. Therefore, it is even more important for motorists to know how they can manage their fuel expense.
Bottomline!
In the KSA, motorists always face several challenges while driving in the winter season. This is why motorists have to bear with increased fuel consumption during the winter season and the inclement weather.
During the winter season, motorists need to follow practices that can help them limit their fuel expense and must drive carefully to avoid dangerous road situations. The fuel costs can be reduced significantly by following the aforementioned fuel-saving tips, whereas the weather conditions are in no one’s control. Motorists who want to sell their old car in order to upgrade to a new vehicle with advanced fuel-efficient features, then they can choose the most reliable platform offered by a specialist car buying company for selling the vehicle in a quick and hassle-free manner.
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