You might’ve heard that cold weather can actually make engines more efficient, and there’s some truth to that. Cold air is denser, which means it has more oxygen in it, and that can help fuel burn more completely once an engine is fully warmed up. That’s one reason performance cars love cool air. But here’s the flip side, in everyday winter driving, cars usually become less efficient overall. Cold engine oil and fluids thicken up, creating more friction, and engines take longer to reach their ideal operating temperature. Until they do, they burn more fuel. Add in winter fuel blends, lower tire pressure, and thicker cold air creating more drag, and most vehicles actually use more fuel in cold weather, not less. So, while cold air can help combustion in theory, winter driving is still tougher on fuel economy.
You can check out more on what I learned out this at this website: Fuel Economy in Cold Weather | Department of Energy
