Car enthusiasts on open track sections constantly complain about their vehicles. They say that when the air conditioner is turned on, the car’s power significantly drops. This is especially noticeable during overtaking, when you need to quickly increase engine RPMs for a safe maneuver. Naturally, the question arises – how much power does a car air conditioner consume.
Let’s clarify that we are talking about power losses on classic fuel – high-octane gasoline. If the engine runs on propane or methane, it is also difficult to quickly increase RPMs without the air conditioner. But that’s not the main point.
How Much Power Does a Car Air Conditioner Consume
The automotive publication Which Car decided to conduct a test drive. The goal was to find out how the operation of the air conditioner affects engine performance. For the test, they chose the most popular car in 2020 with a naturally aspirated engine – Mazda MX-5. The engine power is 184 horsepower, with a 2-liter volume.
Using a dynamometer in a laboratory, measurements were taken:
- 3 times with the air conditioner turned on.
- 3 times with the air conditioner turned off.
The results were interesting. The compressor drive takes away 5% of the engine’s torque. It cannot be said that this is an exaggerated figure, but for overtaking or prolonged climbs, these 5 percent are often not enough for many drivers. When researching how much power a car air conditioner consumes, high-quality fuel from a well-known brand was used. Accordingly, if the vehicle owner refuels with diluted gasoline, the percentage of losses may increase.
In general, summer driving enthusiasts will have to choose between driving pleasure and cabin microclimate. Of course, you can open the sunroof or windows, but then the vehicle’s dynamics will suffer. No matter how you look at it, some sacrifices are inevitable.
